Restoration of the Museu Nacional advances to the lateral wings of the palace
A new phase of the restoration of the Paço de São Cristóvão, the headquarters of the Museu Nacional/UFRJ, began in February this year. Professionals in engineering, architecture, and restoration are dedicated to the restoration of the facades and roofs of blocks 2 and 3, the lateral sections of the building. Meanwhile, in the historic block of the palace, internal slabs will be constructed, and a skylight will be installed over the monumental staircase courtyard.
The work is being carried out by Construtora Biapó, the company awarded the contract through a bidding process coordinated by the Friends of the National Museum Association (SAMN), one of the managing institutions of the project.
“Every stage of this historic reconstruction is extremely important, deserves to be celebrated, and should be closely followed by society. This new phase has the proper authorization from IPHAN and also includes the restoration of window frames and metallic elements, structural reinforcement of masonry, construction of new slabs, installation of rainwater drainage systems, and lightning protection systems,” explains Lucia Basto, Executive Manager of the Project Museu Nacional Vive.
According to Alexander Kellner, Director of the Museu Nacional/UFRJ, “another highlight will be the restoration of paintings and ornaments. The public will have the opportunity to follow the progress of these services in two iconic spaces of the Museum: the Bendegó Room and the marble staircase courtyard.”
The contracted works are scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2025, and new complementary phases of the project are expected to be tendered in 2024, including the initial works for the annex building. These efforts are essential to enable the reopening of the historic block of the Museum, with exhibitions and educational activities, in April 2026. The full reopening is planned for 2028.
ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Construtora Biapó, the winner of a specific tender for the development of this phase of the project, has been active in the field of historical heritage restoration since 1994. Among its highly successful experiences are the conservation work on the Church of Pampulha (Belo Horizonte, MG), designed by Oscar Niemeyer with tile panels by Cândido Portinari, the Church of Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Pirenópolis, GO), and the restoration of the main facades of the historic block of the Paço de São Cristóvão in 2008. The company is also responsible for the restoration and renovation work currently underway at the Palácio do Itamaraty in Rio de Janeiro. In 2020, it carried out cleaning and protection services for the historical and artistic elements that survived the fire at the Paço. Through its institute, the company also promotes educational and sociocultural activities combined with the restoration efforts, engaging communities near the project sites.
