The project is dedicated to the restoration of a captivating historic building in the heart of Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro.
Once the beloved home of Baron Mauá, this enchanting site was a vibrant artists' residency, bursting with creativity and inspiration.
Our vision is to revive this artistic spirit and transform it into a dynamic hub for artists and art lovers alike, from Europe to Brazil.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
"The girl from Ipanema goes walking And when she passes Each one she passes goes ah When she walks, she's like a samba That swings so cool and sways so gently..."
- The Girl from Ipanema 1962
by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Vinícius de Moraes
A spectacular historic property
The historic property is located just meters from Largo do Guimarães, the most valued point in Santa Teresa. It is adjacent to Felício dos Santos Street and the Santa Teresa MGallery hotel, the most luxurious in the neighborhood.
The casa Mauá is the former residence of Barão de Mauá, Irineu Evangelista de Souza, an important industrialist, merchant, and shipowner who greatly contributed to the development of the city of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. His name is associated with the building of the first railway in the country and making possible the first underwater cable that connected Brazil to Europe, thereby making telegraphic communication viable.
From humble origins, this bold entrepreneur left the city of Arroio Grande early to work in a fabric store.
After traveling to England, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, for work and observing the rapid development of the country's industries and the strength of liberal theories, At the time, his ambitions were far removed from the thinking of a considerable portion of Brasilian's elite.
The Baron of Mauá bought the property in 1837.
He was the most lucid and fundamentally anti-slavery spirits of his time. One of the great opponents of slavery and the slave trade, understanding that only through free trade and free, paid workers could Brazil achieve prosperity. The position that Mauá, as a classic-style entrepreneur, was opposed to the institutional order of his day and, for that reason, he would have been punished.
Several samba schools have developed plots referring to Irineu Evangelista de Sousa. At the Rio de Janeiro carnival in 1963, GRES Portela, with the storyline "Barão de Mauá and his achievements", came 4th in the Special Group and, in 2012, GRES Acadêmicos do Cubango, with the storyline "Barão de Mauá - Dream of a modern Brazil" came 4th in Access Group A.
Baron, then Viscount de Mauá, was a banker, industrialist and merchant and a pioneer in Brazil during the Second Reign, dubbed the "Rothschild of South America" by the New York Times in 1871. Banco Mauá was the bank created by him to provide capital for the development of the country, whose economy was then based on agriculture and slave labor.
As well as being one of the houses that housed the Barão de Mauá throughout his life, it was also in the 1940s home to the Pensão Mauá, an initiative by the painter Djanira.
The Pensão Mauá has hosted several Brazilian and foreign artists, including poet Manuel Bandeira and artists Carlos Scliar and Milton Dacosta, among others.
An architectural gem steeped in history
Mauá Pension
In the 1940s, this same building housed the Pensão Mauá, on the initiative of the painter Djanira (1914-1979), who bought the property and began renting out the rooms to Brazilian and foreign artists and intellectuals.
It served as a workshop for various foreign artists, including the Swiss painter Jean Pierre Chabloz, the Polish sculptor August Zamoyski, the German painter and musician Henrique Boese, and many others who passed through, among them: Manoel Bandeira, Carlos Scliar, Milton Dacosta, Emeric Marcier, Henrique Boese, Jean Pierre Chabliz and August Zamoyski.
The work of Djanira was presented for the first time in 2024 at the central pavilion of the institution of contemporary art Biennale Arte of Venice.
Her work reflects not only Djanira’s interest in indigenous graphism, but marks the artist’s encounter with her indigenous ancestry, partly lost in the miscegenation process but always claimed by the artist as her roots.
The property also housed the Tomaz de Aquino School for 57 years.
The work of Djanira was presented for the first time in 2024 at the central pavilion of the institution of contemporary art Biennale Arte of Venice.
Inspiration for the future
We see this historic property in Santa Teresa becoming a lively cultural hub.
We’ll renovate the property to offer residencies for artists, giving them a stimulating place to work. We want to keep the building's historic charm but also make sure it has all the modern facilities artists need for their creative work.
Creating an institution dedicated to bossa nova, a music recording and rehearsal studio, why... not?
Inspiration from the world
59 Rue Rivoli, Paris
Just a stone's throw from Place du Châtelet, 59 Rivoli welcomes more than 30 artists in residence to its legendary premises in the heart of Paris. Scheduled every Saturday and Sunday, a plethora of concerts enliven the venue and its gallery (open to outside group exhibitions).
La Folie Barbizon, guest house and artists' residence
Both a guest house and artists' residence, La Folie Barbizon, run by Lionel Bensemoun, opened its doors a stone's throw from the Forêt de Fontainebleau.
Villa Dar El Sadaka
An exceptional 9 bedroom villa in the Palmeraie, Marrakech
The Villa has continued to evolve in step with the artist, and today welcomes travellers from all over the world, privileged guests who appreciate contemporary art, luxury and refinement, and who are clearly looking forward to a unique experience in Marrakech.
The European Music Centre: European culture in the Paris Region
A unique European incubator for musical projects The EMC is 144 concrete partnerships that can be activated through ad hoc funding, with European and international players on various themes and with a wide range of partners, both public and private. The Villa Viardot in Bougival was completely renovated in 2018.
By preserving the historic essence of this site, we aim to respect its rich past while creating a space that encourages contemporary artistic projects.
Our vision is to blend history and modernity, celebrating and strengthening the cultural ties between Europe and Brazil, and inspiring future generations of artists and culture lovers.
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all."
- Helen Kelle
Financial information
Casa Maua was for sale at R$ 4 million (about $710,000) and is now for sale at R$ 2.5 million (about $440,000).
The current owner of the house is a French international hotel brand.
The property would be used in a project that ended up being realized in another way.
The property has a total surface area of 1,369 m² including the garden. Casa Maua would cover around 600m2 spread over a basement and two floors, representing an estimated renovation cost of around $655,263.
Revenue estimated once renovated :
between $102,876 and $308,629 / year
One of the feasible projects is to create a hotel in the artists' residency on 310m2 (i.e. about half the total surface area).
Art as a vehicle for rare emotions offers a level of differentiation rarely equalled when it is at the heart of the concept and the customer experience.
Today, initiatives in the luxury hotel sector are multiplying, with some establishments even offering spaces dedicated to both established and younger artists. They are in keeping with a certain idea of eighteenth-century salon culture and patronage. At that time, art was omnipresent and the greatest artists of the 18th and 19th centuries were welcomed in the most beautiful private mansions.
Our goal is to create a space where artists from all over the world, especially from Europe and Brazil, can come together, find inspiration, and soak in the unique vibe of Rio de Janeiro.
The ground floor will be a buzzing space for art exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events, making it a hotspot for artistic innovation. We’re planning a mix of activities to promote artistic collaboration and cultural exchange, particularly between European and Brazilian artists.
An artists residency, a hotel and?
A biergarten, a restaurant, a samba concert area or a bar, ... could be envisaged in the basement or... in a new rooftop.
The artists could be accommodated in private flats and would have a shared studio in a large veranda in the garden.
With the depreciation of the Brazilian real, the Brazilian real estate sector is now one of the most attractive investments in the world.
Contact
FAQs
The purchase price of the property is $440,000.
The estimated cost of renovating the property is $655,263.
The property has a total surface area of 1,369 m², with 600 m² inside and the rest outside. It comprises a 200 m² basement, a 200 m² ground floor and a 200 m² second floor.
The estimated annual income after renovation of the property is between $102,876 and $308,629 per year.
We are awaiting the opinion of investors before deciding on the final project.
** Renovation ideas currently under consideration include restoring Casa Maua's exterior to its original state.
** Converting the ground floor into artists' flats. The creation of a samba, bossa nova and all kinds of music creation space and café in the basement.
** Creating a hotel in the second floor and part of the first floor.
** Additional options include creating a large artists' studio in a large veranda in the garden, a swimming pool suspended under the big tree, a rooftop for organising exceptional evenings...
FAQs
The purchase price of the property is $440,000.
The estimated cost of renovating the property is $655,263.
The property has a total surface area of 1,369 m², with 600 m² inside and the rest outside. It comprises a 200 m² basement, a 200 m² ground floor and a 200 m² second floor.
The estimated annual income after renovation of the property is between $102,876 and $308,629 per year.
We are awaiting the opinion of investors before deciding on the final project.
** Renovation ideas currently under consideration include restoring Casa Maua's exterior to its original state.
** Converting the ground floor into artists' flats. The creation of a samba, bossa nova and all kinds of music creation space and café in the basement.
** Creating a hotel in the second floor and part of the first floor.
** Additional options include creating a large artists' studio in a large veranda in the garden, a swimming pool suspended under the big tree, a rooftop for organising exceptional evenings...