Heavy metal: a raw shell envelopes an art and car collection in this São Paulo gallery
A gallery does not have to be a white box; and this São Paolo art space by Brazilian design and architecture firm Superlimão, created together with architect Gabriela Coelho, is as far removed from the typology of the minimalist exhibition space as possible. Commissioned by a Brazilian art and car collector in an empty parking lot, this private gallery is a constellation of raw industrial spaces, in a balanced composition that promotes functionality and a standout aesthetic.
The project was designed using four shipping containers, joined together using the original steel walls and floor and enhancing them with OSB board to make sturdy gallery walls for hanging. Perforated screens and swathes of glass that offer views both out to the site's gardens and internally across different rooms and levels, create a flowing interior and an extremely flexible open-plan space.
Uniting modern art and a large automotive collection, the brief outlined a building that would comfortably include a garage for cars, an exhibition space to host temporary shows drawing from the various items in the collections, plus an office, a smaller workshop, a gym and a kennel.
The ground floor garage is perhaps the gallery’s most striking element; a generous, open space supported just by two pillars and housing anything from vintage cars and motorcycles to more contemporary models.
The project's striking outdoor spaces are a distinctive part of the scheme. Spreading across various levels and encompassing terraces and gardens, nearly all of the project's roofs are accessible. ‘The floors become the ceiling, and vice-versa, creating a unique experience that would be worthy of an Escher drawing', say the architects. This gesture also ensures the space – and the use of containers – is perfectly in tune with its locale and the site specific climatic requirements of Brazil, creating a flow of air throughout that cleverly minimises the use of air conditioning systems.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Superlimão
Wallpaper* Newsletter
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).
-
Corfu hotel Domes Miramare redefines beachfront bliss
Make like Jackie O at Corfu hotel Domes Miramare, a property with contemporary luxury and echoes of 1960s glamour in spades
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024: what to see
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 sees the fair back bigger and better than ever. Navigate the highlights with our guide
By Lauren Ho Published
-
This office interior by Faye Toogood is a communal space that encourages collaboration
The new Hato Studio London offices by Faye Toogood encourage IRL collaboration through a tactile environment
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Brazil’s Casa Subtração contrasts dramatic concrete brutalism with openness
Casa Subtração by FGMF is defined by brutalist concrete and sharp angles that contrast with the green Brazilian landscape
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Arthur Casas’ Pacaembu House wins Best Urban Bolthole in Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024
Pacaembu House by Arthur Casas is a São Paulo residence that feels like an idyllic escape
By Scott Mitchem Published
-
This Brazilian house uses concrete and wood to screen a sleek horizontal living space
The Brazilian house in Minas Gerais by Tetro Arquitetura is designed to elevate and simplify the art of one-level living
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Mario Cucinella's Nice headquarters in Brazil offers a bioclimatic take on industrial architecture
Comprising a manufacturing base and R&D Centre, the Nice headquarters in Brazil by Mario Cucinella Architects hail a new era for the company
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Casa Boa Vista is a Brazilian home that opens up to its natural views
Casa Boa Vista by Arthur Casas makes the most of transparencies and natural materials to highlight views and nature in Upstate São Paulo
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Roca São Paulo Gallery’s architecture is a tribute to the Atlantic Forest
Roca São Paulo Gallery designed by architect Fernanda Marques opens in Brazil
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rúina, Brazil: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Brazil’s Rúina enters the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah Published
-
A quiet residential oasis screens itself from a São Paulo suburb
FGMF Arquitetos have created a residential oasis; Casa Cumaru is a secluded masterpiece from steel, concrete, glass and wood
By Jonathan Bell Published