Top 10 Facts about the Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo

By Fernando Stankuns – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about the Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo

Ibirapuera Park is a massive urban park in the middle of São Paulo in Brazil. Walking through the park exudes a peaceful vibe despite the bustle of the city around it.

The park is located at Av Pedro Álvares Cabral, Av IV Centenário, and Av República do Líbano.

One can get there by car or walk from the at Santa Cruz, Vila Mariana, Ana Rosa, Paraíso, and Brigadeiro subways.

One can spot the city’s skyline from any point at the park. It offers a tranquil getaway from the city for those that need to relax.

Ibirapuera is not only a park but also a cultural centre that celebrates Brazilian art and music.  

Here are the top 10 facts about the Park.

1. The Park was opened in 1954

Ibirapuera Park was opened during Sao Paulo’s 400th anniversary in 1954.

This massive park spans on 1.6 million m² areas of land with sports courts, bicycle racks and restaurants. The project lead was Oscar Niemeyer who is credited to designing most of the buildings in Brazil.

The Park has 500 different vegetation species, such as courbaril, Brazilian oaks and even endangered plant species.

This Park’s green space is filled with monuments, museums, playgrounds, gardens, trails, lakes, and performance spaces.

It has served as a leisure paradise for the people of São Paulo from 1954 to date.

There is a frequent showcase of modern architecture and culture. An obelisk at the Park commemorates those who died in 1932 in the struggle for a new constitution.

2. The Park hosts the Sao Paulo fashion week

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

This Park has beautiful architectural structures. One of them is the Biennial Pavilion.

It hosts São Paulo Fashion Week in January for the winter collection and again in July for the summer collection.

This is one of the most important events in the fashion scene that brings the world’s top models to São Paulo.

Another event that is hosted at the pavilion is the Biennial of Arts and the Biennial of Architecture, as well as several congresses, sports fair, tourism fair and trade shows in Latin America.

3. Ibirapuera was designed by Roberto Burle Marx and Oscar Niemeyer

By Paul R. Burley – Wikimedia

Roberto Burle Marx is the landscape architect who put together his cubist and surrealist inspiration to make Ibirapuera the park it is today.

He had a great knowledge of Brazilian botany and the landscape of Sao Paulo. Since the city is landlocked, creating a massive green space in the city was welcomed by the locals.

The park sits on 22 hectares of land and is filled with beautiful gardens and museums. Burle worked closely Niemeyer who is a well-known Brazilian designer.

Building the park involved collaboration from several other architects like Ulhoa Cavalcanti, Zenon Lotufo and Augusto Teixeira Mendes.

4. There are several museums at the Park

By Paul R. Burley – Wikimedia

Ibirapuera Park is massive and has several cultural and historical buildings. This park is home to several interesting and popular museums.

One of them is the Oca do Ibirapuera. This art museum is famous for hosting large exhibitions. It has hosted the biggest exhibition on Picasso in Latin America.

The museum also hosted the Dinos na Oca exhibition with over 400 dinosaur bones, fossils, and artifacts.

Another interesting building to visit at the park is the Japanese Pavilion. This building displays Japanese art, pottery, sculptures, and samurai clothes. There is a tearoom and a carp pond.

The Museum of Contemporary Art which is also found at the park, is home to about 8,000 pieces of Western art from the 20th century.

The Afro-Brazil Museum also celebrates the cultural achievements of Africans in Brazil by showcasing the work of black painters, writers, and politicians.

5. More than 14 million people visit the park annually

Ibirapuera Park is one of the most well-known parks in Sao Paulo. In a day, the park receives about 25,000 visitors and triple that number over the weekends.

It is estimated that about 14 million visitors, both local and foreign, visit the park annually. The park remains open for 24 hours during the weekends and closes at midnight on weekdays.

These numbers have been compared to other parks that attract millions of people like Ueno Park in Tokyo, Stanley Park in Vancouver, Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York City.

6. It is more than a park

By Xctu -Wikimedia

Ibirapuera Park has several cultural attractions, fitness areas, bicycle path, tennis and basketball courts and playgrounds.

There are areas inside the park where one can read, meditate, have a picnic or just stroll.

Joggers have designated running paths of varying distance, there is a 3 kilometre one and a 6 kilometre one. Some man-made highlights at the park include Lake Ibiraquera, Manequinho Lopes plan nursery, and Plaza Burle Marx.

You will find cultural museums and pavilions that showcase disruptive and interesting architectures of the park.

7. Ibirapuera Park sits on more than 400 acres of land

By Fernando Stankuns – Wikimedia

AS one of Latin America’s largest city parks, Ibirapuera Park covers over 158 hectares with both natural and cultural features.

This park has been one of the city’s most popular attractions ever since it was opened. There are ten entrance and exit gates with different opening times and services.

8. The planetarium at the park was inaugurated in 1957

Another interesting fact about the Ibirapuera park is that it has a planetarium. The planetarium is the first one in Brazil and was officially opened in 1957.

Entry to the planetarium is free on Sundays and Holidays with special sessions at 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm and 7 pm. If you plan on getting a ticket, get there an hour in advance to avoid any inconveniences.

9. There is an Afro-Brazilian museum at the park

One of the must-see museums at this massive park is the Afro-Brazil Museum. It is home to the history, culture and heritage of African Brazilians.

This is considered to be one of the nicest museums in Sao Paulo. The building that houses it was designed by Niemeyer. A visit here will reveal a fascinating history of the African culture in Brazil.

10. There are cultural dances held at the Auditorium

Ibirapuera Park is a cultural hub in Sao Paulo. While there, you will find cultural dancer dancing to Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

the bands are usually on the grassy area outside the Ibirapuera Auditorium. During the summer season, the back wall of the stage opens and audiences can sit beneath the stars.

There is an outdoor library where one can borrow a book and enjoy the read in the shaded areas.