Built in 1912 by architect Baptista Rossi for the merchant Bernardo Martins Catharino, the mansion, in the Eclectic style and listed by the Institute of Artistic and Cultural Heritage of Bahia (IPAC), was selected to house a branch of the Rodin Museum in Brazil. In 2002, the modernist project by the firm Brasil Arquitetura was implemented and completed in 2006.
The museum is divided between the main building and an annex, connected by a walkway. The mansion houses the most significant part of the collection—the original plaster casts by the sculptor—as well as a small auditorium intended for lectures, seminars, and musical performances; the annex accommodates temporary exhibitions and cultural activities.