Designed in 1967 by Oscar Niemeyer, the Presidente Humberto Castelo Branco Building was constructed between 1974 and 1976 and inaugurated in 1978, subsequently housing the State government departments.
In 2002, with the creation of the Museum, the rectangular building raised on pilotis underwent adaptations to accommodate the new institution. With this new function, the architectural complex came to include the "Eye" — so named because its shape resembles a gigantic eye —, designed in 2001 and built in 2002.
Sculptural in character, the "Eye" functions simultaneously as an exhibition space and as the complex's most emblematic architectural element, while the original building presents a form subordinated to its function. Although they are independent buildings, both structures are connected by sinuous ramps leading to their interiors and by an underground passageway.