Malakoff Tower, Astronomical observatory in Recife Antigo, Brazil.

The Malakoff Tower is a yellow building in Recife Antigo with a central tower rising above two lower wings. The tower carries a white hemispherical dome with a finial, a crenellated rim and a round white clock face, and its two stacked pairs of arched windows match those of the wings. A large arched entryway with a metal gate opens at street level, and a short white balustrade links the wings.

A provincial decree of 1 January 1834 created the Navy Arsenal, with the architectural project drawn up in 1837. Construction of the Monumental Gate began in 1853 near the Port of Recife. Readers of the Diário de Pernambuco followed the Crimean War siege of Sevastopol, and the population itself named the tower after the fortified Malakoff hill there. After the Republic ended the Navy arsenals, the tower passed to the port and was threatened with demolition until literary and cultural institutions mobilised to save it.

The tower serves as a center for learning about astronomy and science, drawing visitors and locals to sessions and exhibitions that explore the sky and celestial objects. It functions as a community hub where people gather to experience different perspectives on space and photography.

The tower is easily accessible on foot in the historic district of Recife Antigo, with regular visiting hours and guided tours available through its exhibition levels. Visitors can navigate the space with clear signage and choose between guided experiences or independent exploration of the structure.

The name was not chosen by architects but by the people of Recife: while newspapers covered the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War, residents nicknamed the new Navy Arsenal gate after the fortified Malakoff tower. The historian Pedro Veloso Costa records this in "A Marinha em Pernambuco".