Slotted into a narrow gap between towers and houses in the central Pinheiros district of São Paulo, the Leitão 653 building is just four meters wide but 25 meters high.

The creative studios occupying the building get a fluid flow between the floors thanks to the central tower. The staircase and elevator core sit in the centre of the plan, feeding open-plan studio spaces in the front and back of the concrete structure. Additional staircases link the studios, so the companies can be self-contained over more than one floor.

Alternate terraces on the 2nd floor and the rooftop offer social spaces and favor community life. A veranda is set into the front of the second storey and balconies stick out from the ends of alternate levels above. The covered roof terrace provides extra outdoor space.

Three opacities of glass blocks are dispersed across a grid that covers the top four levels visible above the adjacent buildings to the northeast. This gigantic panel allows a smooth communication between the city and the interior of the building. The building has a sort of cathedral light, like a moucharaby. The multifaceted wall absorbs the light during the day. As for the night, the light radiates such as a box made by a craftsmanship. In this urban theater, the indoor life composes scenes through this fine lace of glass, articulated as a Chinese shadow puppet show. These scenes of transparency, a subtle eroticism, reveal the corporate activity of the building from the street. 

The special feature of this project lies in its arrangement that promotes the emulation, the expansion as a business incubator, an urban incubator.