Terraço Itália by MNMA Studio redefines an iconic modernist building in São Paulo through a precise and materially driven interior intervention.
Set on the upper floors of the 1954 Circolo Italiano, the project uses adaptive reuse not as a disguise but as a way to reveal. Instead of covering the building’s structure, the design brings it forward — treating concrete columns and slabs as key architectural components rather than background elements.
The existing concrete remains exposed, carrying visible traces of time and construction. This structural honesty establishes continuity with the building’s original modernist logic, allowing the new program to sit within a clear historical framework. Against this neutral base, volumes clad in Radica stone introduce density and define circulation. Their weight and texture contrast the concrete, grounding movement through the space and marking areas of more intimate occupation. Lime-coated walls and ceilings diffuse daylight evenly, producing soft luminosity without decorative additions.
The studio articulates its approach through the idea that “matter builds space, but also builds time.” Here, material aging is considered an asset, not a flaw. Patina, irregularities, and exposed structure communicate the building’s 70-year history directly, without mediation. This emphasis on material presence aligns with contemporary tendencies toward essentialism in interior design.
Void is treated with the same precision as built form. Negative space organizes the plan, shaping perception and flow as clearly as the solid elements. The result is a controlled, deliberate interior that prioritizes structure, geometry, and atmosphere over ornament — a measured dialogue between past and present.
