The Bienal building, in Parque do Ibirapuera, was designed by Oscar Niemeyer to hold large exhibitions and events. The first Bienal exhbition in São Paulo was held by the Museu de Arte Moderna in 1951, when some of the first paintings by Picasso to arrive in Brazil were displayed here.

By 1962, the Bienal and MAM had become separate exhibition centres and the Bienal was converted into a foundation. Most recently, it has become known for hosting the Bienal de Arquitetura, one of the largest architectural events in the world, São Paulo Fashion Week, and the Bienal de Arte.