The rooftop gym is the crowning glory of a private house and is clad in a screen that echoes the perforated wall compositions of north-eastern Brazil. These latticework brick façades date back to the 1920s, and became a defining characteristic of the newly created capital of Brasilia in the 1960s.
Close to Ibirapuera Park, in São Paulo’s affluent Jardins neighbourhood, Cobogó House sits in a tranquil plot. Designed by celebrated local architect Marcio Kogan, the house features his signature long, low yet dramatic volumes and tastefully appointed rich, warm materials that add sensuality to what could have been a cold study in modernism. Carefully chosen furniture and artworks add another layer of luxury and sophistication, but it is the rooftop that steals the show. Each of Kogan’s works has a distinguishing element, and Cobogó is no exception.
In a project like this, one might expect the top floor – and its incredible views – to be allocated to the master suite, or even a private office. In this case, the owner demanded to top the house with a private gym, a room typically tucked away in a basement. The result is a long, minimal box, enclosed in glass behind an intricate screen that filters the daylight, creating an elegant pattern that slowly evolves of the course of the day.
The panels surrounding the rooftop gym diffuse light, creating elegant patterns that evolve during the day – and can be watched whilst resting on a lounge chair by Richard Schultz.
If the screen panels look familiar, they should. The pattern is a classic, designed for interior application by the Austrian-born, Connecticut-based sculptor Erwin Hauer in the 1950s, and it recently featured as a prominent part of the lobby at New York’s Standard Hotel. Kogan spent more than a year with Hauer and his design partner Enrique Rosado to adapt the panels, originally fabricated in gypsum, for exposure to the elements. In the end, the pattern was achieved with pour-formed concrete, painted white. The screen recalls the cobogós (perforated wall compositions used as a brise-soleil) of north-eastern Brazil, hence the house’s name. The ornate hollowed bricks diffuse light while allowing ventilation, making them perfect for the climate.
The space sports a luxurious bathing area with two saunas.
The gym features everything from a state-of-the-art surround sound system to a luxurious bathing and changing area with two saunas. On the hi-tech, impact-resistant, vinyl-tiled floor sits a collection of Life Fitness machines, adding sporty finesse to an environment peppered with iconic pieces of furniture. A chaise longue by Richard Schultz or a ‘Slow’ chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec ensure there will always be a stylist place to rest during a difficult training session. On the terrace, Paola Lenti’s lounge chairs are best enjoyed when the work out is complete.
As private gyms go, it is hard to match this facility’s lofty location and feel. The gym’s centre-stage position and simple yet memorable light effect produce a training experience to remember – just enough to get anyone in shape for the nearest Brazilian beach. §
As originally featured in the June 2012 issue of Wallpaper* (W*159)
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Marcio Kogan website
-
A new Athens gallery is a celebration of old and new, a stone's throw from the AcropolisNew Athens gallery Melas Martinos by Local Local is a contemporary art space, a stone's throw from the Acropolis, in the Greek capital's Monastiraki neighbourhood
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: live updates from the Wallpaper* teamFrom 7-9 July, Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 arrives in Paris. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
-
Boundaries between art and life dissolve in Katherine Hubbard's intimate documentation of her mother's illnessIn 'The Great Room', Katherine Hubbard merges caregiving for her mother with an unflinching documentary of the process
-
A guide to modernism’s most influential architectsFrom Bauhaus and brutalism to California and midcentury, these are the architects who shaped modernist architecture in the 20th century
-
Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage puts this lesser-known Japanese modernist in the spotlightDiscover the little-known modernist architect through this private home in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture countryside
-
Eileen Gray: A guide to the pioneering modernist’s life and workGray forever shaped the course of design and architecture. Here's everything to know about her inspiring career
-
Discover Canadian modernist Daniel Evan White’s pitch-perfect homesCanadian architect Daniel Evan White (1933-2012) had a gift for using the landscape to create extraordinary homes; revisit his story in an article from the Wallpaper* archives (first published in 2011)
-
A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secretPierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
-
Beige is best at this São Paulo apartment by Arthur CasasWith 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 architectureA 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 locationWe tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will
