Bank of Brazil Cultural Center

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre, in Rio de Janeiro

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre, or CCBB, is one of the main cultural centres of Rio, installed in a superb old building. The Rio de Janeiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this high place of culture, which hosts great exhibitions in a remarkable architectural setting.

The former bank become a temple of culture

This great building is the Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre, better known under its acronym CCBB. As its name indicates, it is linked to the Bank of Brazil, which laid it out in one of its former headquarters. The building, constructed at the turn of the twentieth century in an elegant neoclassical style, charms by its fine façade and above all by its spectacular interior: a vast central rotunda topped with a dome of glass, bathed in light, around which the floors and the galleries are organised. Reconverted into a cultural centre at the end of the twentieth century, the CCBB is today one of the most dynamic and most frequented cultural places of Brazil. It offers a rich and varied programme: great temporary art exhibitions, often prestigious and come from all over the world, but also shows, cinema, concerts and conferences. Entry there is often free or inexpensive, which makes of it a place of culture open to all. It is a model of successful reconversion of a banking heritage in the service of culture. A major cultural centre and an architectural jewel, the CCBB is a fine stop of the discovery of Rio de Janeiro.

What to see

Here you discover one of the most dynamic cultural centres of Brazil, installed in a former neoclassical bank of the turn of the twentieth century, with a vast central rotunda topped with a dome of glass bathed in light; the CCBB offers great art exhibitions often prestigious, shows, cinema and concerts, often with free entry, in a model of successful reconversion. The CCBB is a high place of culture in Rio. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre lies in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, reachable on foot and by metro. The visit and the exhibitions follow their own hours and conditions, which vary; entry is often free or inexpensive, but a booking may be necessary for the great exhibitions. It is best to check the programme before coming.

What is the CCBB in Rio de Janeiro?

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Centre, one of the most dynamic cultural centres of Brazil, installed in a former neoclassical bank with a vast rotunda topped with a dome of glass; it offers great art exhibitions, shows, cinema and concerts, often with free entry, and illustrates a successful reconversion of a banking heritage in the service of culture.

Where is the CCBB in Rio de Janeiro?

In the centre of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.