Abstract This article investigates the relationship between cultural equipment, habits and territory of the Espaço do Conhecimento UFMG. This equipment is located in a noble area of Belo Horizonte; as the result of a public policy, it raises questions about its recognition and legitimacy by the different groups of inhabitants of the city. Thus, we investigated whether the ECUFMG can break the social structure circumscribed in the physical territory and thus be frequented by different publics. Field research found a homogeneous profile among spontaneous visitors - high schooling, high income and high cultural habits - indicating that the place of residence is not a determining factor for the appropriation of this space. We observed a access barrier related to the issues of belonging and the lack of information about the ECUFMG and its attractions, which points to the importance of educational and formation work among the different publics.