How can a contemporary exhibition be inserted into a historic building without competing with its architecture?

Developed in collaboration with Gru.a Arquitetos, "The Emperor Pedro II Legacy: Inventory, Collections and Contemporary Dialogues" occupied the historic rooms of the Justice Museum, a listed building whose architecture was an essential part of the exhibition experience.

Rather than competing with the existing architecture, the intervention was conceived as a contemporary layer that establishes a dialogue between the exhibition and the building itself. Inspired by the visual language of chroma key, the project introduced a series of continuous surfaces that function as "infinite backgrounds", highlighting the artworks while preserving the identity and presence of the historic interiors.

Exhibition walls, display cases and plinths were designed as a unified spatial system, allowing every exhibition element to share the same visual language while guiding visitors naturally through the narrative.

A metallic vinyl cladding was selected for its ability to reinforce the concept of continuous surfaces while responding to the project's tight construction schedule. The intervention creates a subtle transition between the contemporary exhibition design and the museum's historic architecture without compromising either.

TEAM

Project Team: Bárbara Amorim, Pedro Varella, Caio Calafate
General Concept: Fabricia Ramos (Fora.org)
Curators: Paulo Knauss, Márcia Mello
Research: Flávia Leone
Graphic Design: Quinta-feira
Lighting Design: Diana Joels (Conceptual)
Production: Yasmin Zyngier
Installation: Camuflagem Cenografia
Photography: O Estúdio