Dec 11, 2017

Refurbishment of the space will enable the application to Unesco World Heritage and will provide better experience to visitors

The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) approved the non-refundable granting of R$ 4.45 million to Intermuseus, a non-profit civil association, for restoration, refurbishment and revitalization of the Roberto Burle Marx Site, located at Barra de Guaratiba, Western Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

BNDES funds, enabled by the Rouanet Law and by the Cultural Fund of the Bank, represent 61.7% of the total investment in the project, which aims to refurbish and prepare the space for the application to the World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

With the interventions, society will be able to benefit from a better visitation experience and greater database access. Also, new financial sustainability initiatives will be implemented in the museum to contribute to its long-term survival.

The activities envisaged include the establishment of the museum’s strategic plan, execution of studies and architectural projects, modernization of equipment, realization of a long-term exhibition, provision of the collection of Roberto Burle Marx in digital database for public consultation, planning of communication and disclosure of the space, investment in brand licensing in products and hiring of consulting staff for endowment fund structuring.

The site – Located on a property of 400,000square meters, the Burle Marx Site still houses one of the most important collections of tropical and semi-tropical plants in the world, with about 3,500 specimens of native and exotic species, being frequently visited by scholars of courses such as biology and biotechnic.

The site was acquired in the late 1940s by landscaper Roberto Burle Marx to install his botanical collection. In the 1970s, when Burle Marx transferred his residence to the location, the area began to shelter his personal objects, his artistic production and his collections of art and design.

In 1985, the artist donated the site and his entire collection to the National Pro-Memory Foundation, which was succeeded by the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan). Today, the space is a special Iphan unit, linked to the Ministry of Culture, being a heritage-trust building at federal level landmarked by the institute itself. 

Included in the Brazilian indicative list of world heritage by federal government initiative in 2015, the place needs interventions as it does not have the infrastructure to receive visitors, nor suitable spaces for researchers’ assistance, storage of collections, or course offerings.