The Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói: the old form takes care of the new demands

Abstract

Since the first criticisms done to his work, Niemeyer copes with the inconveniences of an option towards form in detriment of function. However, with the cultural and economic changes of the last decades, the old curves of his architecture fit perfectly into the “new functions” proposed for contemporary museums. Today, the success of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói in attracting investments and qualifying the urbanscape through its formal impact is more relevant than the fact that its architecture relegates to a secondary role the “old function” of exhibiting works of art.