Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

Oscar Niemeyer's 1996 saucer perches on a cliff across Guanabara Bay from Rio, rising from a shallow reflecting pool and reached by a swirling red ramp 98 meters long. The ramp is the best part: it slowly turns you toward Sugarloaf Mountain and the city. Be clear about the collection: the column-free main hall is small and the Brazilian contemporary shows vary, so this is a building and a view more than an art destination. Take the ferry from Rio to Niterói and make an afternoon of the bay crossing.