Fundação Iberê Camargo in Porto Alegre, Brazil / Alvaro Siza

Jun 2008

By David Basulto — Filed under: Museums and Libraries , Alvaro Siza, Brazil, Concrete

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The new building for the Ibere Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre, Brazil designed by Portugal´s Alvaro Siza, is a big rectangular white concrete structure. It has a big central space enclose by circulations and exhibition spaces. Some of this circulations separate from the main body as arms going out through the facade.

I´ve always loved the big white orthogonal Siza buildings, and i think that this form is really informed by brazilian modernists, resulting on sculptural rock in front of the river with an amazing light use, a tradition on Siza´s works.

Pictures by Grazielle Bruscato, plans taken from Fundação Iberê Camargo.

About David Basulto: Graduate Architect. Co Founder and Executive Editor of ArchDaily.com. Architecture geek.

Cite:
Basulto , David . "Fundação Iberê Camargo in Porto Alegre, Brazil / Alvaro Siza" 21 Jun 2008. ArchDaily. Accessed 07 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/2769>

Comments (25)
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sOl Pa toTS says:

There are lots of citations on that building, aren’there? Niemeyer, Le Corbusier, Lina Bo Bardi, Mendes da Rocha…

By the way I love Pedro de Valdivia Norte

# June 21, 2008 at 18:49

DIoniso says:

Siza is always fantastic. He is a genius!

# June 21, 2008 at 20:33

luckyitem says:

Brilliant.

# June 22, 2008 at 12:31

Riki says:

Any photos of the corridors that goes out of the building???

# June 22, 2008 at 15:01

Andre says:

Guys,
i’m from Porto Alegre and this building is what all the media and the people are talking about. It’s such an honour to have an Alvaro Siza’s work in our city.

Thanks for posting and commenting about it.

Cheers!

# June 23, 2008 at 09:17

BILL says:

May I ask what does “I love Pedro de Valdivia Norte” means?

# June 23, 2008 at 11:05

David Basulto says:

Bill,

Pedro de Valdivia is a neighborhood in Santiago, Chile. It has several houses from chilean modernists, and lots of architects live and have their offices there. An architect’s neighborhood…

No idea why it came up on this discussion anyway.

# June 24, 2008 at 13:44

Thanks David about my concern.
I don´t agree completely with sOl Pa toTS about the quotations the architect makes in this building; I would discard Niemeyer, Mendez da Rocha and Le Corbusier.
This is almost like the child of Siza and Lina Bo
It´s a mater piece.

# June 24, 2008 at 19:00

Rodrigo says:

Great to see our city published around the world with this pics and articles about this amazin building, but please we don´t talk spanish, we talk portuguese, so change this title were is write Fundacion Ibere Camargo to the rigth way Fundação Iberê Camargo or just in the mother lenguege of this publication :). Thanks

# June 25, 2008 at 01:19

Nico Saieh says:

Rodrigo,
Sorry about that. It’s fixed

# June 25, 2008 at 09:35

SolPatots says:

I think there might be relations in between the authors I suggested. Not linear, but there are analogies

Le Corbusier… It recalls me Chandigarh with the work on concrete in the ramps from the Ministerial Secretariate, and its openings…

Picture no p1160181-copy,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/siqueiramm/1426993330/in/set-72157602081008572/

Niemeyer recalls me about the use of curved geometry, I guess it reminded me the Copan builiding façade with its curves…

About Mendes da Rocha,I mentioned it, only for this easiness at making severe concrete volumes seem to fly, but I agree with you that there is a weak connection in between, and only as an attitude with structures I guess

The Pedro de Valdivia Norte is a dejà vu, sorry, absolutely nothing to do with the post…

# June 26, 2008 at 07:39

SolPatots
You are absolutely right, that window is an undoubtfull Corbusier’s heritage mole.
I eat my words
On Neimeyer’s … well, sure he does curves.

# June 27, 2008 at 10:38

Bill you’re right it’s too generic to talk about curves, but what about this curves (waves) at the Copan building?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47333265@N00/1249039127/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47333265@N00/1249026835/
or even this one compared with the rooftop gesture
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0fs6fc274M0U8/610x.jpg

I don’t think Siza wouldn’t take advantage at making a building in Brazil without making a gentleman’s gesture to his colleages in Brazil…

# June 27, 2008 at 11:20

Maria says:

I agree with Dloniso! It is fantastic!

# November 27, 2008 at 18:01

f says:

and what about frank lloyd wright’s guggenheim?

# December 18, 2008 at 05:13

E says:

Yes, somehow Siza applies here a synthesis between a linear museum – the leaning corridors – (and Guggenheim is a paradigm) and a hall museum – the rectangular flat rooms. Corridors of two natures – flexibility and liberty of own’s choice… And please, Siza’s buildings are not orthogonal! Get to know them, I’m pretty sure you’ll learn something… Instead (and far different from the curves of ‘objectual’ Niemayer’s buildings), they are organic. Very pleased to know good architecture still is an intellectual work made by intelligent persons – continuing/transforming/developing concepts, places and history – joining antagonisms, pushing culture further. Congratulations to Siza’s office…

# February 18, 2009 at 22:29

drr says:

there are some things that i don’t understand in the layout.perhaps siza dose:)

# February 19, 2009 at 07:09

HSXK says:

I like Alvaro Siza very much,the pure color,only the light and the relationship between the volumes! The form always cute and naive. And he can take some interesting room to people who use it!

# May 12, 2009 at 23:02

dario says:

this is one of my favorite pieces of architecture. i remember seeing the construction pictures a few years back, and i instantly fell in love with it.

# September 26, 2009 at 01:21

oscar falcón lara says:

This is such an interesting and cool project, the interior space feels, at least in some of the photos, down to earth and welcoming. Brilliant Siza.

# September 26, 2009 at 02:36

Carlos Ribeiro says:

It’s an impressive work. Its architecture contrasts with the waters of Guaíba. See the location of this building:
http://orladoguaiba.blogspot.com/
Goodbye.

# July 1, 2010 at 14:00

Rade Lalic says:

When beautifully executed like this, building looks like a big concrete diamond!

# September 11, 2010 at 07:59

Harsha says:

This is one of my favorite buildings. I appreciate how tightly controlled the placement and size of the apertures are; even though the site affords beautiful views. It is almost torturous but the views don’t distract from the art and the windows and the views become precious, like works of art.

# September 14, 2010 at 15:01

tiago szinvelski says: