One year on from a fire that almost completely destroyed the National Museum of Brazil, the institution has announced plans to reopen in 2022.

The 200-year-old museum went up in flames last September after a faulty air conditioner started the blaze, which destroyed around half of the museum's collection. Thanks to extensive efforts from recovery crews, lost items such as the 12,000-year-old skull of Luzia – the oldest human remains ever found in the Americas – were successfully recovered.

"Our intention is to inaugurate a part of the reconstructed palace in 2022 with expositions that let us celebrate the bicentennial of Brazil’s independence," said Denise Pires, head of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, speaking at a press conference at the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Around R$11m (US$2.7m, €2.4m, £2.2m) has so far been spent on repairs to the heavily-damaged museum. R$68m (US$16.3m, €14.8m, £13.4m) has been raised to aid the reconstruction, with the bulk coming from Brazil's government. NGOs, Unesco and foreign governments – most notably Germany – are also contributing funds. Work on the building's roof and facade is scheduled to start this month, with total reconstruction costs estimated to be around R$521m (US$125m, €113.5m, £102.5m).