We designed the reception building for a new open-air art institute in Brazil as the visitor’s first encounter with the museum – a place that establishes presence, orientation, and expectation. Conceived as a large, sheltering roof, the building consolidates all visitor services beneath a single open structure, framing reception, café, shop, lounge, and waiting areas as part of a continuous space. A more enclosed central volume accommodates functions requiring privacy, while the surrounding spaces remain fluid and outward-looking. The café extends into the landscape with both covered and open-air seating, and the restrooms open onto an interior courtyard, reinforcing the museum’s close relationship with gardens and nature.

Located within the expansive entrance zone, the building is scaled to match the vastness of the arrival sequence, including parking facilities for nearly 1,000 cars, buses, and museum support vehicles. Its mass and presence provide clarity and orientation within this large infrastructural landscape. Water features define subtle thresholds between street, parking, and building, while reflecting pools and the thermal mass of locally sourced concrete contribute to a microclimate that naturally cools the space. Referencing Brazilian modernist precedents while projecting a contemporary identity, the building reads as both timeless and new. The project is currently under construction and will serve as a clear architectural marker preparing visitors for the museum experience to come.

(MCKNHM and RIZOMA as our joint office PMCKM)