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The Gustavo Capanema Palace, conceived during Getúlio Vargas’s administration as the Ministry of Education and Health, is a landmark of Brazilian modernism designed by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, and collaborators, with Le Corbusier’s guidance. Its pioneering features, as pilotis, brise-soleils, free plans, passive ventilation, and integration of art, furniture, and landscape, anticipated environmental concerns and symbolised national modernisation. Protected since 1948, the building has faced recurrent conservation challenges. Restoration campaigns since the 1980s culminated in the most extensive intervention, which began in 2019 and concluded in 2025. Guided by principles of minimal intervention, reversibility, and authenticity, the project addressed dilemmas such as replacing obsolete industrial materials and introducing discreet climate systems without compromising integrity. The case demonstrates how modernist heritage can be adapted to contemporary needs while preserving historical values.
