Reconstruction of the Museum of the Portuguese Language must end in 2020

The governor of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, João Doria, said today that the reconstruction of the Museum of the Portuguese Language, destroyed by a fire in 2015, is up to date and that the site should reopen in the first half of 2020.

“The work schedule for the Portuguese Language Museum is up to date and [the works] follow the project announced. The works will be delivered in the first half of 2020. The last information I received from the Secretary [of the Sérgio Culture] Sá Leitão is that the works follow the determined course, “he told, after a meeting with international correspondents in Brazil.

Asked about a reduction of funds applied in the area of ​​Culture, which according to the local press could have an impact on the functioning of several state museums, Doria stated that there were no cuts and that the Portuguese Language Museum could not be affected because its reconstruction uses funds obtained from partnerships with private companies.

“There was no cut [of money] in the Culture sector and no project will be paralyzed. The resources used in the reconstruction of the museum [of the Portuguese Language] were obtained in partnerships with private companies, which I think is very correct,” he said.

The São Paulo State Communications Office detailed, in a written response, that the last stage of the civil work – the adaptation of the internal environments – is already in progress, for the later installation of the museum equipment.

“Two steps have already been accomplished: restoration of the facades and window frames, windows and doors, openings, etc., and rebuilding the roof, destroyed in the fire. three instances (municipal, state and federal), “he said.

The museum was installed in the Luz Station building, in the Bairro da Luz, in São Paulo, and became popularly known as “Estação Luz da Nossa Língua“. It was conceived as an interactive museum about the Portuguese language.

The Museum of the Portuguese Language was destroyed in December of 2015 by a fire of great proportions, but it remained active with some travelling exhibitions because its collection is mainly constituted of audiovisual content.

After the fire, the Government of the State of São Paulo and the Roberto Marinho Foundation, responsible for the original design of the museum, initiated a joint initiative with the private initiative to support reconstruction, signing sponsorship with EDP Brasil, Grupo Globo and Itaú Group.