The House At Lagoa: The architecture and history of Eva Klabin's life setting

The story of this house, which emerged in a newly urbanized neighborhood on the banks of a  lagoon that would come to be regarded as one of Rio de Janeiro’s loveliest postcards, begins in 1934, when it was built by then-Captain Affonso Henrique de Miranda Correia and his wife.

Eva and her husband rented the house in the late 1940s and bought it in 1952. They dreamt of demolishing the building to make way for an imposing mansion, as evidenced by the  architectural plans still preserved in the museum’s archives.

In 1952, the Italian architect Gaetano Minnucci presented designs for palatial façades and interiors. In the following years, Fritz J. D. Götze and Roberto Salomon also submitted proposals. However, with her husband’s passing in 1957, the projects never came to fruition. 

In the early 1960s, Eva embarked on an extensive renovation that would transform the house into the true setting of her life. The original style of the construction was preserved but numerous expansions and modifications were carried out, all under her personal supervision.

With this long and extensive renovation, which lasted no less than seven years, Casa da Lagoa gained new, finely decorated spaces, each named by Eva herself, where every  precious object of the collection found its place.  

In the Main Hall, the grand staircase and the Gothic fireplace frame, made of carved oak,  lend a sense of nobility to the space. On either side of the fireplace, glass cases display Asian artworks connecting the space and the house’s beautiful garden. 

The Renaissance Room is the most imposing space in the house. There, one may see the collection of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, with a gilded Florentine wooden  altarpiece in the background as well as objects from Asia, North Africa, Pre-Columbian  America and Europe.

The English Room is entirely paneled in cherry wood and is named after the English portrait paintings that adorn its walls. It was the collector’s favorite space to entertain family and close friends, as well as for reading and listening to music — two of her favorite pastimes. 

The Dining Room is decorated with French late gothic mobiliary. Paintings from Dutch and Flemish Baroque adorn the walls. In the center of the room is a long imposing colonial table from Minas Gerais. Crystal and china services, along with fine silverware are also on display.  

The Chinese Room, decorated in shades of red and black, evokes the exotism of Chinese temples and palaces, and pieces from the oriental collection are displayed. It was used as a game room, yet another of Eva’s hobbies, and its glass walls connect the space to  the garden.

Leaving this part of the house, one enters three interconnected rooms: the Ante-dining Room, the Breakfast Nook and the Kitchen. With generous countertops, pass-throughs, a freight elevator, and no fewer than seven sinks — these are spacious and comfortable areas.  

Upon reaching the second floor, the Upper Hall greets visitors. Serving as a foyer to the Music Room, it is and is also known as the Baroque Hall, displaying pieces in this style  from Italy, Spain and Austria, including paintings, sculptures and furniture.

The Music Room is a very special space, built by the collector to share her passion for this art form with her guests. It has a cathedral ceiling and accommodates 80 people in elegant chairs  with red cushions. On the stage, stands a majestic grand piano.  

Transitioning between the social and private areas is the Green Room, a more intimate  and cozy space. A Flemish tapestry from the 16th Century, Feuilles de Chou, catches the  eye, along with a French chandelier made of crystal pendants and a large trellis  bookcase.

The Boudoir, decorated in shades of blue, precedes the Master Bedroom. The room is a small office, featuring an Italian desk where Eva Klabin used to keep up with her correspondence. It also contains two portraits of the collector.

The Master Bedroom is generously sized and sumptuously decorated. Highlights include a golden baroque bed,  other pieces of furniture, and brocaded curtains, as well as the French crystal chandelier and a chaise longue. 

The spacious walk-in closet displays pieces from Eva Klabin’s wardrobe, true  reminiscences from the years between 1950 and 1980 — including designs from French  houses like Christian Dior and Jean Patou, as well as a vast collection from her favorite  designer, Zulnie David.  

The Master Bathroom are lined with boiserie panels, and the floor and countertops are made of sodalite mosaic, known as the “Brazilian lapis lazuli”. The bathtub, chandelier, golden faucets, mirrors and towel holders — in the shape of tiny hands — decorate the luxurious room.

The Garden completes the house as an important landscape heritage, associated with  the name of Burle Marx, a great appreciator of the formal and chromatic richness of the  tropical flora. The vegetation, the koi pond and the granite floors are harmoniously  arranged.