Guilherme Torres: Studio GT

São Paulo, is the venue for Guilherme Torres' renovation of what used to be home to renowned Brazilian artist Victor Brecheret. Originally constructed in the 1940s but uninhabited for decades after the artist's death, Torres was immediately attracted to the property due to its compact size (130 square metres) and the privileged location in one of the most charming streets in the Jardins neighborhood of the city.

Few changes have been made to the floor plan aside from alterations in openings and coatings, with the walls covered in some areas with a cement-like finish, others with white paint.

The master suite's toilet is connected to a mezzanine above the kitchen where a bath tub has been created and a retractable glass roof can be opened on summer days in order to create a mild climate. To soften the rays of sun, a wooden muxarabie was used as a covering and continues the pattern incepted at the front door of the house.

Torres now uses the property as both his home and studio and the space embodies his studio's understanding the symbiosis between 'creation and creature'. The timeless traits of Torres' architecture projects are a result of his admiration to the Escola Paulista de Arquitetura Modernista whose heydays were the sixties and seventies, while the interiors seek to reflect the "restlessness of our days".

Studio Torre's crisp forms, minimalist details, and rich-but-reserved material palettes that characterize his designs are consistently applied across single-family residences, interior renovations, retail fit-outs, and his own home and office. Balancing the rigorous aesthetic of the architecture, a certain playful levity can be found in the interior design of his projects. The stark forms and subtle surfaces provide an appropriately quiet backdrop for the lively furnishings within, while the thoughtfully arranged spaces benefit from an astute attention to natural light.

Studio GT
Architects: Studio Guilherme Torres
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Year: 2010
Area: 130 square metres
Team
Architects: Celso Oshiro, Jean Oliveira, Paulo Maignardi, Rafael Miliari, Raphael Lima, Vanessa Bercini
Designer: Xenia Itikawa
Administrative: Vitor Magon