In our study of the MASP we started with a mapping of the building and identified a set of key themes:
Accessibility
Accessibility
Lina Bo Bardi sees the museum as an inclusive space, that is not just for an educated upper class. The building should extend an invitation to everyone and not erect boundaries by referencing the traditional European museum architecture. Folk Art is displayed equally to fine art.
Rethinking cultural conventions
Rethinking cultural conventions
Lina Bo Bardi uses the freedom of the Brazilian environment to rethink traditional forms of displaying art. Instead of a linear narrative the art can be read in multiple ways. Juxtaposition of artworks from different cultures and periods encourages new readings.
Relating Art to life
The art is not displayed in a white cube. Instead the transparency of the building creates visual references to the city around the museum. The museum is an environment in which art and life can take place.
Freedom
Freedom
The building is thought of as a place of Freedom. This manifests itself for example in the open floor plans of the exhibition space and plaza. The building provides a frame for a variety of uses and appropriations. There are no predeterminations as one can see for example in the plaza, that is used for anything from art exhibitions to circus displays.
Rawness
Rawness
No energy is expended on superfluous finishes. The roughness of the building is comparable to that of a piece of infrastructure.
