One of the fun places I visited during my time there was the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) – a science museum designed by neofuturistic architect Santiago Calatrava – and built next to the Guanabara Bay at Pier Maua. The museum was part of the city’s port area renewal for the 2016 Summer Olympics and was the first museum in Brazil to receive LEED Gold certification. It mixes science with an innovative design to focus on sustainable cities and an ecological world. The project has sustainability as one of its priorities and had its environmental impacts significantly reduced; some of the sustainable initiatives include reduction and correct disposal of waste (the reuse of leftovers from the foundation stakes for the construction), solar panels installed in the roof that move with the sun to maximize energy absorption, the collection of reusable rainwater, and use of the waters of Guanabara Bay in the air conditioning system (this water is then filtered, cleaned and returned back to the Bay), resulting in water savings of about 25 L per day. The museum saves up to almost 50% energy compared to conventional buildings. Due to its unique design, use of local resources and innovative exhibits, the museum received “Best Innovative Green Building” MIPIM Award in 2017.
The main exhibition takes visitors through five main areas: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow, and Us, composing a number of experiments and experiences. Exhibits cover topics in science and technology, ranging from the cosmic origins of life on Earth to human role in climate change. Each of the 5 areas had a unique feature that caught my attention. The Anthropocene section is composed of six totems — each 10 meters tall and 3 meters wide — arranged in a circle, serve as the screen for a film of dramatic scenes of the great amount of change likely to occur over the next 50 years due to man’s impact on the Earth illustrated by real-life images and global scientific data. In the Tomorrow area, I found it very interesting to calculate my ecological footprint and see what was my answer to the question “How many planets would we need to support mankind if everyone had the same standard of living?”
The Museum of Tomorrow definitely is one of the most amazing and recommended museums to visit in Brazil, whether you are into science and technology or not. I highly recommend a visit if you ever have a chance to go to Rio de Janeiro!
For more information about the museum, https://museudoamanha.org.br/en
See you in my next post!
Published on March 9th, 2019
Last updated on April 1st, 2021