The renovation of an apartment in the Albatroz Building, located in the Higienópolis neighborhood of São Paulo, was based on the principle of restoring and maintaining the characteristics of the original design by architect João Kon, completed in 1960, and integrating it into the new design in accordance with the requested scope and proposed architectural style. Throughout the project, the reuse of materials and the restoration of certain materials were sought, which culminated in a return to its original appearance. The original design of the building includes the use of various textures, such as granilite, marble, and two-tone wood parquet flooring. In addition to these materials, the architect used a color scheme (white, black, and burgundy) that gives rhythm and life to the building's façade and common areas.
As a gesture of respect for the original design, the renovation project included the restoration of the original floors of the balconies in yellow ceramic and terracotta and the kitchen in granilite, by adapting the proposed layout to the pre-existing structure and adjusting the gas and electrical installations. In order to avoid breaking the existing granilite and ensure its total maintenance, the installations run under the concrete cabinet and climb up the metal structure of the table to reach the kitchen island. The bathrooms were covered with 2x2cm porcelain tiles in yellow and ice white and the wooden parquet floors in the bedrooms and living room were maintained and complemented by the original checkerboard pattern, with Ipê and ivory parquet, which give the apartment greater identity.
New frames were added to close off the kitchen and pantry, following the original language and rhythm of the project. Respecting the original design, the frame on the rear façade was removed, opening up the apartment to the green area of the Santos Yacht Club, at the rear of the building. The woodwork, made of Jequitibá wood laminated MDF, complements the existing burgundy-colored doors.
Of the few demolitions carried out, the masonry of the kitchen and the service room were removed, integrating the two facades of the building through their open areas: the front and rear balconies, now articulated to provide greater cross ventilation to the apartment. As the only two new additions, two exposed reinforced concrete cores were built to organize the rooms within the proposed new layout. The first core serves the living room, kitchen, and pantry, with cabinets, shelves, and support for the oven, microwave, and refrigerator; and the second core houses a closet for the bedroom and a walk-in closet for the suite. The cores thus function as two multifunctional volumes that are incorporated into the space, integrating the solutions and materials used throughout the project.
In this way, the pre-existing features and original characteristics of the building's original design are respected, while at the same time appropriating existing features and materials to consolidate a contemporary proposal that integrates past and present, designing a more sustainable architecture for the future through reuse and waste management.
Team:
Architects: Estúdio Lava
Other participants: Daniella Gerbasi
Photographer: Paula Monroy, Julia Reis
Materials Used:
Facade cladding: Porcelain Tiles: Keramika
Flooring: Granilite/Terrazzo: Donizete Resipisos
Doors: Wooden doors: Ailton Santos
Windows: Metalwork: Metal Lab
Interior lighting: Lamps: Reka
Interior furniture: Furniture: Fernando Jaeger
