In search of an apartment with historic character in Brasília, Brazil, the client turned to the architects of Três Arquitetura, who designed the renovation of this unit located in the city's Asa Sul, the area where residential occupation of the federal capital first began.

Designed for a single occupant, the project reconfigures the original floor plan — conceived for the family dynamics of the 1960s — to suit a new logic of use. The social area gained prominence, spacious enough to receive friends, while the kitchen was designed to be functional and enclosed, since cooking is not part of the resident's routine. One of the bedrooms is multifunctional, usable as a home office or guest room, while the other was converted into a suite. The shared bathroom was treated as a powder room, though it retains a functional shower area.

The unit had undergone previous renovations whose language and materials were inconsistent with the spirit of the era in which the building was conceived. The architects' challenge was to undo those modifications, proposing contemporary solutions that would speak to an apartment from the 1960s — drawing on references from modernist architecture and from classic or contemporary Brazilian design that also cites that period.

The original parquet floor was preserved as a historic layer of the property, receiving clean, contemporary interventions on top. The materiality of modernism appears in the valorization of materials in their natural state — concrete, wood, and natural stone — but executed with present-day techniques, such as precast concrete panels. Natural wood was used in cladding and furniture, while natural stone appears in the kitchen and as tabletops. Glazed ceramic tiles complete the kitchen and bathrooms, and fabrics with pronounced weaves or leather bring tactile surfaces to the upholstered pieces.

The living room ensemble — comprising a bar and a display cabinet — also stands out: the stacked volumes in stone and joinery bring unity to the dining and sitting areas, serving as support for objects, a display for drinks, storage, and even as seating. A notable detail is the round metal wardrobe with mirrored doors, used to store crystal glassware.

 The choice of contemporary Brazilian furniture that references the modernist period creates a subtle bridge between the two eras: today's pieces share with those of the 1960s the use of wood, natural weaves and textures, and low proportions. Chairs by designer Bernardo Figueiredo, armchairs by Jader Almeida, and a coffee table by Estúdio Bola were used. The exception is the Tulip side and dining tables by Finnish designer Eero Saarinen — drawn in the 1950s and sharing the same spirit of the era.

In addition to recessed ceiling fixtures with adjustable intensity and beam angle to suit different uses, the living room and bedroom feature ribbon-form pendant lights — suspended from floor to ceiling or between walls — providing diffuse, indirect general light through reflection.

The result is an apartment that carries the soul of Brasília's modernist movement, yet breathes the present.

Team:

Architecture: Três Arquitetura
Project management/coordination: Luciano Pena
Photos: Edgard César
Production: Três Arquitetura