The Covered Courtyard
Luiz Signorelli (building); restoration 2009 to 2013 · 1930, roofed 2013
Walk past the staircase and you come out into a tall rectangular well of space, surrounded on all four sides by the inner walls of the building with their rows of windows and little balconies. Look up and, instead of sky, you see a lattice of pale shading panels hung under a glass roof. This was the open courtyard of the secretariat, the light well that every office in the block was arranged around, and the restoration architects turned it into the indoor heart of the cultural centre.
The idea was practical. Belo Horizonte has strong sun and heavy summer rain, and an open courtyard could not be used for events. The new roof is set above the parapet so that the original cornice is untouched, and the staggered panels beneath it break the light into a soft, even glow while letting hot air escape. Look at the inner facades: they are plainer than the street front, with simple mouldings and iron balconies, because nobody was expected to admire them. Now they are the walls of the busiest room in the building.
The courtyard is where the CCBB puts large installations, where concerts and performances take place, and where children's activities run at weekends. It is also simply where people wait, meet and take photographs. On a quiet morning it is one of the calmest interiors in the city, and the changing pattern of light across the walls as the sun moves is worth a few minutes of your time.
Did You Know? The glass roof was set above the original cornice so that not a single stone of the historic courtyard walls had to be altered.
Unlock the Full Guide
Read every room and listen to every work in all museums with premium.