Public Library of Minas Gerais State

(Former Luiz de Bessa Public Library)

The Public Library of Minas Gerais State (BPEMG) is located at Praça da Liberdade, 21. It was created in 1954, by decree of the state governor at the time, Juscelino Kubitschek. In 1961, it has its name changed to Luiz de Bessa Public Library.

Only on May 4, 2017, it is called again by its original name. Oscar Niemeyer’s 1955 project, in Modernist style, came to be partially completed in 1961 – a basement and three floors, out of the five designed. It extends longitudinally, with S-shaped, curved lines. The building is supported on pilotis and laterally has glass facades that make it light and clear. There are brise-soleils to protect against solar rays, in the posterior oval volume and generous frontal recoil. The architect was concerned about maintaining the existing volume in the square.

In the front garden, it has five bronze statues, made by artist Leo Santana, representing the writers of Minas Gerais: Fernando Sabino, Oto Lara Rezende, Paulo Mendes Campos, Hélio Pelegrino and Murilo Rubião.

The BPEMG was created with the purpose of fulfilling a series of cultural actions, as well as encouraging reading. It has a collection of more than 600 thousand books and a number of 300 thousand visitors per year. From the year 2000 onwards, it began to count on an annex on Rua da Bahia, the Professor Francisco Iglésias building, to which the home loan, reference and study sectors, internet room and cultural walkway were transferred. Since 2014, the institution has been receiving training from the National Library Foundation, aiming to become a reference in accessibility in public libraries. It is currently a reference for libraries in 853 municipalities of Minas Gerais. The main building, which was named Luiz de Bessa, has a children’s and youth space, braille and audio books, periodicals, special collections, historical news library (hemeroteca), course room, Paulo Campos Guimarães Art Gallery and José Aparecido de Oliveira Theater, with capacity for 220 people.

The BPEMG is part of the large cultural complex, which is the Praça da Liberdade Cultural Circuit. In the cultural heritage registration process of the ensemble of the Praça da Liberdade, carried out by the State in 1977, the  BPEMG is deemed as part of the environment. In 1981 it was registered as cultural heritage site by the municipality of Belo Horizonte.