Ibirapuera Apartment II | Diego Revollo Arquitetura

A terrace over the park. With a breathtaking perspective of Ibirapuera’s woods and monumental complex framed by São Paulo’s skyline, this 600 sq.mt. apartment already offered a visual spectacle by itself. Our challenge was, then, to turn it into a home for a couple and their son, emphasizing aspects of their contemporary lifestyle and specific personalities, searching for a balanced refinement and prizing such privileged panorama over the city.

One of the main desires of our clients was to have an integrated open-plan social area. Since the central concept of our project considered the dissolution of boundaries between inside and outside – so that the apartment interiors could welcome and incorporate the scene over the park –, we have proposed to extend the living area to the generous glazed terrace which surrounded it. For that purpose, the original apertures which separated the terrace from the living room have been enlarged and received minimalist frames, in order not to compete with the perspectives they are intended to frame.

Materials and finishings have also been thought to reiterate such integration. Gris Armani marble, paginated in slabs of maximum length, covers the entire social area with no gap between living room and terrace, promoting a sophisticated and sober effect. Walls have all been painted in white, reinforcing the perception of a purist architectural language. Moreover, to complete this neutral basis, an outstanding millwork pannel, in medium gray colour, has been designed to cover the gallery walls and conceal the social restroom, the intimate hallway and the kitchen doors, besides the huge sliding door that shelters the apartment’s social entrance hall – which deserves special attention due to its exquisite execution with seamless finish, notwithstanding its over 3 meters-width.

However, in order for the apartment to translate these special clients’ joie de vivre, the decor has assumed a vibrant colour palette, elegantly orchestrated. As to dialogue with the neutral basis, shades of bordeaux, blue and mustard colour have been chosen to provide the social area with unique personality. Furniture curation has also been thought to reinforce a contemporary atmosphere, even though pieces of different periods of design history have been selected. In the living room, the modern sobriety of the armchairs signed by Zalszupin goes along with the audacity of Nepal Mama armchair, by Paola Navona for Baxter. By the fireplace, Vladimir Kagan’s curved sofa, upholstered in bordeaux velvet, recalls the sculptural lines of Sol armchair, by Constance Guisset for Molteni, and of the legendary Accordo coffee table, by Charlotte Perriand, reedited by Cassina. In the dining area, the Executive Saarinen chairs, upholstered in blue velvet, highlight the minimalism of Jader Almeida’s table and also harmonize with the pair of art déco sideboards, designed by our firm for this project.

Furthermore, some special requests had been adressed by the clients at the beginning of the project. For our client, a renowned caterer of the São Paulo scene, it was essential to transform the kitchen into a convivial area. In that sense, our suggestion to integrate the kitchen to the social area was willingly accepted. The project of a bi-fold door, together with one pivot leaf, had made possible either a partial opening, providing a simple access to the kitchen in formal occasions, or its total integration to the dining area, ensuring to our client the possibility to cook while enjoying a beautiful view over Ibirapuera’s park green horizon.

In order to provide a more fluid circulation and a more pleasant experience in the kitchen, we have proposed a central island for cooking, with an adjacent table for more intimate occasions and a high glass cabinet serving as both china closet and wine cellar. We have also increased the area, eliminating the breakfeast room and providing direct access to the terrace. There, the original barbecue area gave place to a vertical garden – the perfect environment for al fresco meals.

In the sleeping area, some details shall also be mentioned. The son’s bedroom, designed in a playful style, was inspired by the nautical universe – one of the teenager’s passions. For the couple, the need of a home office required some layout redefinitions. One of the original bedrooms has been integrated to the master bedroom, through special sliding doors in extra clear frosted glass, in order to provide an area for library, work desk and an intimate living. With flawless millwork for the bookshelves and a sober palette puctuated by colourful elements, such as the books themselves and other decoration objects, the space reiterates the same elegance observed throughout the entire apartment.

We shall also emphasize the diligence and care of all details in the apartment, one of the main aspects of our firm projects. Finishings of the doors, pannels, inverted skirting boards and handles have all been executed in brushed stainless steel. The linear shelf of the home theater has inclinated design drawers in Calacatta Macchia Oro finish, besides delicate structure in polished stainless steel, which provide the piece with lightness and refinement. Moreover, the curvilinear millwork of the fireplace, precisely executed, contributes to ennoble even more the area, synthesizing the contemporary and sophisticated aura of the clients.