Rio Art Museum (MAR)

The Rio Art Museum (Museu de Arte do Rio), known as MAR, is on Praça Mauá, between downtown and the Port Zone. It opened on March 1, 2013, in a partnership between the City of Rio and the Roberto Marinho Foundation, as part of the regeneration of the port area, according to Wikipedia.

Two buildings and a wave

The museum brings together two very different buildings:

• Palacete Dom João VI: an eclectic-style building that houses the exhibition rooms, making the most of the high ceilings of its halls.
• The former terminal: the neighboring building was once a bus terminal and now houses the Escola do Olhar (School of Looking), an art education space, as well as the administration.

The two are linked by a suspended walkway and a white wave-shaped roof that evokes the port area, according to Wikipedia. The design is by the firm Jacobsen Arquitetura. In 2013, the museum won the popular vote in the museum category of the international Architizer A+ Awards.

What to see

MAR’s approach is to show art alongside the history and life of the city, with exhibitions that change throughout the year. The current program is on the museum’s official channel.

Praça Mauá

MAR and the Museum of Tomorrow face each other on Praça Mauá, the starting point of the Olympic Boulevard, the walk along the bay. Next to the square, on top of the hill, is São Bento Monastery.

A few blocks away are Valongo Wharf and Pedra do Sal, in Little Africa.

Getting there

The VLT Carioca light rail serves Praça Mauá. See the lines in getting around Rio and other collections in Rio museums.