the center is the former home of laura alvim, the daughter of álvaro alvim, who first introduced the x-ray to brazil.

laura's dream was to becoming an actress -a dream that never came to fruition - when her father died in 1928 she decided to turn her home into an arts and cultural center in an homage to him.

in 1983, laura alvim suffered from mental health problems and turned the house over the state to be run as a public center.