MASP MUSEUM

INSPIRED BY LINA BO BARDI

The MASP museum by Lina Bo Bardi is one of the most iconic buildings in São Paulo, Brazil. Designed in 1968, Lina Bo Bardi imagined the ground-level plaza, under the suspended glass and concrete structure, filled with sculptures, rough finishes and open to the public.

Her original conceptual drawing inspired this tutorial. This collage aims to describe this space as it could look like today if used as Lina Bo Bardi originally imagined.

Lina Bo Bardi's original conceptual drawing.

Final drawing inspired by the original.

1 | BASE IMAGE

For the base image, I created a simple 3D model and created 2D lines using the 'Make 2D' command in Rhino. Using illustrator, I cleaned up the line weights, making sure the context was the lightest part and the building’s outline the darkest.

2 | WORKFLOW

All the colors and textures were added in Photoshop. Since the original colors of the building are gray (concrete) and red for the two structural pillars, I added a cyan tone to the lines to make the drawing more dynamic. 

Patterns from Subble Patterns.

To fill out this plaza as Lina Bo Bardi's original drawing, I used a few sculptures by contemporary Brazilian artists: Tomie Ohtake, Saint Clair Cemin, Romero Britto, Tunga and Iran do Espirito Santo. To balance the red from the big pillars in the back, I chose two red sculptures, adding them to the front for a more dynamic image.

Landscape really helps add depth to the image. By adding a layer of white outlined trees, the landscape engages with the line work from the main building. 

The space was imagined to be a sculpture plaza for the public so adding a lot of people really brings this space to life! Shadows and final lighting adjustments add more detail to the image. Take your time to compose the image not only by looking at all the colors but also with the placement of entourage and lighting.

Entourage from Nonscandinavia

Here is a collection of beautiful drawings by Lina Bo Bardi and her amazing Architecture. Check it out on Pinterest! *

Any questions or suggestions? Leave a comment!

*These examples are for graphic inspiration only. Their contents are unrelated to this website.

Renderings and Tutorial by Stefani Fachini