P13 Residence | Armentano Arquitetura

Facing the imposing entrance door, standing at over five meters high, which defines the spacious entrance hall of the residence, one of the stainless steel heads produced by Swiss artist Not Vital reflects its surroundings, distorting them like the mirrors of old amusement parks. The artwork accentuates the curve described by the staircase leading to the second floor, with a metal sheet railing anchoring white steps that appear to float.

In each room, multiple relationships between the design of the architectural elements, their materiality, the artworks, and the furniture are uncovered. The room dimensions, combined with the sparse arrangement of objects, create an elegant balance that utilizes empty spaces to showcase each piece. Subtly, the project works to support the events within the house: the refinement of its design gives prominence to what it contains.

Yoshio Taniguchi, the architect responsible for the renovation of the MoMA (2004), is attributed with the statement that true luxury is making the building disappear. This is the essence in the internal spaces of P13: architectural materiality is focused on providing space, illuminating, and contouring objects, creating perspectives and contrasts that enhance them. The large monochromatic volumes that shape the spaces contrast with the expansive glass panels that allow sunlight to filter in, further expanding the spaces and visually integrating them with the gardens.

Volumetrically, the building resembles projects envisioned by the avant-garde Theo van Doesburg: a complex assembly of regular prisms that interconnect and create an intricate interplay of solids and voids.