The Paulista Museum, better known as the Ipiranga Museum, was officially opened on 7 September 1895, on the anniversary of Brazil’s independence. It was the first public museum built in the state of São Paulo and is the fourth oldest museum in Brazil.
Its collection has been part of Brazil’s federal heritage since April 1938. In 1999, Independence Park, Monument Square, the gardens, the woods, and the museum were all classified as federal heritage sites.
The museum was closed for nine years and reopened on 7 September 2022 to commemorate the bicentenary of Brazilian independence. The Setec teams were appointed by the FUSP (Fundação de Apoio à Universidade de São Paulo – Foundation to Support the University of São Paulo) to manage the modernization and restoration of the historic building.
The total surface area of the project is 16,260 m², with 8,351 m² restored and 7,908 m² extended. One of the key priorities was to bring the historic building up to current accessibility standards, which are still not widely applied in Brazil. A 200-seat auditorium and classrooms were also installed, as the museum is also a university institution. New exhibition areas were created to house the collection, which is unique in Brazil and includes over 125,000 pieces.
The reopening and renovation of the Ipiranga Museum was a major challenge for the country. With uncontrolled urban expansion, bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining restoration permits, environmental disasters, and fires—such as the one at the National Museum in 2018—preserving Brazil’s historical heritage remains a challenge that urgently requires greater political priority, investment, and active participation from society.
Nevertheless, this project has boosted cultural tourism in São Paulo and across the country.