Today I visited Pampulha, a barrio, in the northwest of Belo Horizonte. It is best known for its man-made lake and the architectural complex around it that Juscelino Kubitschek (who used to be mayor of Belo Horizonte) conceived as an area for leisure and fun, and to boost tourism in Belo Horizonte. The buildings surrounding the lake were planned and designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the famous Brasilian architect, and these buildings became a reference point in modern Brasilian architecture.
 |
| The lake (one view of it, at least) |
The Mineirão (where the World Cup matches are held) is actually also in this region. The other buildings that make up the architectural complex are the Igreja de São Francisco, the Iate Tênis Club, the Casa de Baile, Casa Kubitschek and the Museu de Artes. There is also an Eco Park, Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
 |
| The view of the Mineirão from the lake |
First, I visited the
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis (R$2 to visit inside). For me, it was the prettiest part of the Pampulha Complex (well, amongst the buildings I saw). It is famous for its arches, designed by Niemeyer, and its beautiful external tiles, painted by Cândido Portinari. It's a very small church and the inside has beautiful canvas paintings of the Way of the Cross.
 |
| The exterior |
 |
| View from the front |
 |
| Close up of the church from across the lake |
 |
| A kind stranger volunteered to take my picture |
A map of
Pampulha Lake below. The outskirts of the lake are about 18km long, and there are paths for jogging and biking.
I walked from the Igreja de São Francisco all the way to the Museu de Arte, and back.
Next up: the
Casa de Baile (free entrance). It was originally designed to be a popular dance venue. It's currently a Center for Architecture and Urbanism and frequently hosts cultural exhibitions. There is a wall inside with drawings by Niemeyer.
 |
| The outside |
 |
| The current exhibit inside |
 |
| Part of the wall with Niemeyer's sketches |
 |
| View from the side |
Another view of the lake. That's the Museu de Arte on the other side.
Lastly, I stopped by the Museu de Arte da Pampulha (free entrance), formerly the Cassino da Pampulha. This was the first project of Niemeyer in the complex. The first and second floors occassionally consist of cultural exhibitions, and there is also a small theatre.
 |
| View from the front. Beautiful gardens by Burle Marx |
 |
| The current exhibition had a lot of modern art |
The interior consists of lots of stages, mirrored walls, curves, ramps, marbles, and steel columns. A very interesting building.
On the way back I spotted these weird animals on the banks of the lake! I didn't know what they were until T. Mona told me about them back home. They are capybara, and are the world's largest rodent (and are native to South America).
 |
| This is zoomed in; I didn't actually get that close |
Comments