The Sueli Pontes ecomuseum of the Orla Piratininga park is located on the shores of the Piratininga lagoon in Niterói, near the bay of Rio de Janeiro. The project, a collaboration between the Dutch firm KAAN Architecten and the local studios UrbSP and Embyá, aimed for the preservation, revitalization, and ecological restoration of the lagoon, using native plants that serve to filter and clean its waters. The ecocultural center stands as the core of the operation, which includes paths and viewpoints arranged across the surrounding parkland.

The building, two-story and mostly square in volume, is characterized by a rectangular roof that spreads out with generous eaves, held up by a series of columns. The 2,800-square-meter ecomuseum is built mainly with cumarú wood and features exhibition spaces, offices, a restaurant, multipurpose areas, and a storage place for kayaks, organized around an open central atrium. With a cladding of modules of wood and glass, the facade offers flexibility, allowing different configurations – whether closed or open – through doors and windows.