Set in a 1936 building designed by Rino Levi, the project renovates one of the top-floor apartments. Hidden behind a heavy mortar ceiling, a pitched roof with damaged wooden trusses was uncovered. The wooden trusses were revamped with light metal cables. Two mezzanines were added without load increases. While the typical floor contains four units, this upper level houses two larger apartments. These follow the same layout logic as the lower floors, resulting in bedrooms positioned at opposite ends. This allowed for an exceptionally optimized floor plan—essentially corridor-free—creating a fluid, contemporary space within a timeless classic.
This project was inspired by a passion for downtown São Paulo—its remarkable architecture, diversity, urban dynamism, and creative chaos. It is my own home, and the goal was to create a space that invites living, working, studying, reading, and receiving, while breathing new life into Rino Levi’s fluid creation from his proto-modern phase. After completing the apartment renovation, I began collaborating with my new neighbors—encouraged by their enthusiastic feedback—on restoring the entire building. It was described as being in a “precarious condition” in the great book “Rino Levi: Architecture and the City” by Anelli, Guerra & Kon, but, hopefully, not for much longer.
