Pampulha Modern Ensemble

The Pampulha Modern Ensemble is an architectural group with curved concrete buildings, gardens, and an artificial lake that forms an integrated landscape experience around the area. The complex includes several parts: an art museum, cultural centers, a church, and public green spaces that together create a cohesive whole.

Mayor Juscelino Kubitschek commissioned architect Oscar Niemeyer to design this modernist ensemble, completed in 1943 as a leisure destination. The site later became a landmark of Brazilian modern architecture and gained international recognition as a World Heritage Site.

The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi displays striking tile murals by artist Candido Portinari that mark its interior with strong visual patterns. The surrounding gardens, designed by Roberto Burle Marx, form together with the buildings a space where design and nature engage in dialogue.

The site is easy to navigate on foot with various entrances to its buildings and public areas situated around the lakeside. The best time to visit is outside the hottest times of day, as there is limited shade and the paths cover long distances.

The church uses unusual materials like ceramic tiles as main decorative elements instead of traditional architectural details. This experimental design approach made it a pioneering example of integrating craftwork into modernist architecture.