The neighborhood of Itaim, in its portion near Avenida Faria Lima, is undergoing a profound transformation. The old occupation of small houses is being replaced by tall towers without the proper infrastructure. The project seeks to insert itself in this context as a form of mediation between different times. The plot of over 1000 m2 has a special location, as it opens to three streets, that is, it incorporates two corners. The only neighbor is a new residential tower of over twenty stories.
The proposed seventy meter high building is close in scale to the building next door and set back from the corners, but on the first floor it forms a public square that connects the three fronts, establishing continuity with the neighborhood sidewalks. The square, half in shadow, half in sun, is enlivened by a café, gardens, benches, and a water line. A new pattern of urbanization, desirable in a city whose public spaces are neglected and limited. It could be a rule.
Collective activities are valued in the project. They are distributed vertically, creating a direct communication with the city.
Above the square, 5.40 meters from the street, an almost entirely free floor was proposed, with a large garden and a vegetable garden for the residents. The residential tower rises from there and distributes along the floors the other collective uses. On the sixth floor, facing the busiest commercial street, is the gym, with double height. It seems interesting that a visual relationship is established between those passing by on the street and those above, identifying the construction with diverse uses. On the eighteenth floor there is a common room, also with double height. A meeting space, 55 meters high, connected with the rest of the city. From a distance, seen from many points in the metropolis, you can see a party happening up there. Finally, the pool and sauna were moved to the rooftop, where there is more sun, sky, and views.
The floor plans of the apartments are intended to allow flexibility for different configurations of previously designed residential units. Small simple apartments, slightly larger duplexes, and their horizontal junctions, that is, one simple with one duplex, or even two simple. In this way, it is possible to accommodate families of various sizes.
On the west face, where the tallest neighbor is, the circulation tower was built. The other facades, which open to the street, are continuous balconies. In a climate such as São Paulo’s, this intermediate space between interior and exterior becomes appropriate. It protects from the excessive sun and allows permanent ventilation on rainy days. This protection is reinforced by sliding perforated metal panels, which configure the building’s façade from its own movement and from the variation in height of the apartments.