Pampulha art museum, Art museum in Pampulha district, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

The Pampulha Art Museum occupies the former Cassino da Pampulha, the first building of Oscar Niemeyer's Pampulha Modern Ensemble, with structural calculations by Joaquim Cardoso. Its curved volumes, marble and stainless-steel columns face Lake Pampulha; Roberto Burle Marx designed the gardens, which hold sculptures by Ceschiatti, Zamoyski and José Pedrosa. Since 1996 the building has housed a library, souvenir shop, café and multimedia rooms.

The building was originally constructed as a casino between 1942 and 1943, then transformed into an art museum in 1957 after the national prohibition of gambling. This conversion established it as a significant venue for preserving and displaying Brazilian art.

The building's name comes from Lake Pampulha, the artificial reservoir it faces. Its former casino hall, with marble and stainless-steel columns, now holds temporary exhibitions of Brazilian contemporary art. The gardens by Burle Marx contain three sculptures, by Ceschiatti, Zamoyski and José Pedrosa. Since 2003 the Bolsa Pampulha residency has supported over 100 artists, including Cinthia Marcelle and Paulo Nazareth.

The museum stands on the edge of Lake Pampulha in the Jardim Atlântico neighborhood, about 8 km north of central Belo Horizonte. The building has been closed since 2016 for a renovation whose revised project was approved in May 2023, with no reopening date set; check locally before travelling. The gardens by Burle Marx, with sculptures by Ceschiatti, Zamoyski and José Pedrosa, can be seen from the lakeside paths.

Niemeyer said he drew the casino project in a single night, with no other option. The building was the first of the Pampulha ensemble to be built, and its stainless-steel columns and marble interiors were made for gamblers parading on the ramps. Burle Marx designed the gardens, where three sculptures stand, by Ceschiatti, Zamoyski and José Pedrosa.