Marcos Acayaba: São Paulo, modernism and building in Brazil

From designing an iconic house for his sister-in-law (now his current house and studio) when he was only 28, to working on a variety of inspiring public projects and teaching at the University of São Paulo, Marcos Acayaba's more than 30-year career and architectural explorations into different techniques, forms and materials, have placed him among the country's most esteemed creatives.
Wallpaper*: Has your neighbourhood (Cidade Jardim) changed much since you built Residencia Milan there?
Marcos Acayaba: Yes, there was a lot of construction and everything has been built since then. At first we had no gate and the house was open to the street, and had no garden. Then things changed and for security reasons we started to close the house off and to be more careful. We needed to add a fence and gate.
W*: Was Residencia Milan the first house you designed?
MA: No, it was about the tenth. It was for my sister-in-law who was a great client. If I had designed it for myself it would have been so much more difficult. It is a difficult task for an architect to design his house, especially for a young one and then I was just 28 years old. And I love it; I really think it is the best thing I have ever designed.
The Milan House.
W*: The materials you used here are very simple – concrete and wood. What type of wood did you use?
MA: It is a Brazilian type of wood, called Perobinha-do-Campo. It used to be very common back then, but it is almost extinct today and it's really rare to find it.
W*: You are a born and bred Paulistano. What do you think of the city of São Paulo?
MA: São Paulo is a place in permanent construction mode. Everything changes so quickly; there is really no part of the town that remains as you remember it a few years ago. In the 1960s and 70s it was a very pleasant and smaller city but now it is so vastly different, especially if you count the suburbs. And it is very dynamic but can be quite aggressive and violent too. It is a city that offers a lot of work opportunities, which is why lots of people come here, from all over Brazil but also from abroad. It is a melting pot for different cultures.
Baeta House, 1993.
W*: There is a strong modernist legacy here. How did that affect the architectural landscape?
MA: It all started with the spirit of Le Corbusier. Brazil was a country with strong ties with France – and then with the US. Le Corbusier came here to make the Rio project and the Brazilian team that worked with him on that, mainly Niemeyer and Costa, gained a lot of recognition after that. So modern architecture had a great value in Brazil at that moment.
W*: How did São Paulo develop after that?
MA: São Paulo was mainly a commercial and industrial city; it was not like Rio, which was the capital then. It became a city with a lot of vertical buildings. There was also a big influence from the American architects, like Richard Neutra, to the Paulista architects in the 1960s. Their influence was as big as Le Corbusier's. For example, Artigas created Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture and another important architect, Rino Levy, also designed with an American influence.
Olga House, 1990-2.
Butantã Housing, 2004.
Acayaba House, 1997.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Marcos Acayaba Arquitetetos website
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Industrial chic meets Thai heat at the new incarnation of a beloved London restaurant
Singburi 2.0 brings all the hot and sour thrills of the original haunt in cool Shoreditch surrounds
-
Comfort, kit and enduring aesthetics make the Hyundai Santa Fe utilitarian and upmarket
Tough looks conceal premium features as Hyundai takes its plug-in hybrid SUV upmarket. Wallpaper* tries out the stylish new South Korean 7-seater
-
Goldwin 0’s first-ever performance wear is body-mapped to keep you cool
The ‘Performance Capsule’ from Goldwin 0 – an experimental offshoot of Japanese technical wear label Goldwin – draws inspiration from trail running for its meticulously tested sportswear, which uses experimental ventilation techniques to help you work out in the heat
-
Lush greenery surrounds this compact São Paulo residence
WF Architects has created a São Paulo residence surrounded by tropical plants on a small plot in the heart of the city’s leafy Jardim Paulistano district
-
Beige is best at this São Paulo apartment by Arthur Casas
With this quietly elegant São Paulo apartment, Studio Arthur Casas celebrates the power of subtle, neutral shades to create warmth and timeless appeal
-
Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architecture
A sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
-
A Brazil office makes the most of its tropical location
We tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gems
Architecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
Inspired by 1970s Brazilian brutalism, Arches House is rich in colour and expression
Arkitito Arquitetura blends Brazilian brutalism with fresh colours, bringing warmth and energy into a renovated family home in São Paulo
-
A Brazilian house is a soothing oasis inspired by the black sands of Iceland
Turmalina, a Brazilian house by architect Tulio Xenofonte, blends contemporary architecture with the cleansing energy of black tourmaline, creating a secluded retreat
-
The new MASP expansion in São Paulo goes tall
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) expands with a project named after Pietro Maria Bardi (the institution's first director), designed by Metro Architects