Discover Chu Ming Silveira’s unseen 1970s brutalist house in São Paulo

A previously unseen house by Chu Ming Silveira forms the backdrop for this summer's ABERTO art and design exhibition in the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo. The brutalist architecture home, which has never been published or opened to the public, was created in the early 1970s by the visionary Asian Brazilian architect and designer – whose work remains largely unknown outside the country's borders.

Explore Chu Ming Silveira’s São Paulo brutalist house design

ABERTO has been staging its shows in striking pieces of architecture, drawing on the country's rich heritage in tropical midcentury works and modernist architecture. The exhibition, founded in 2022 by Brazilian art advisor Filipe Assis and now in its third edition, is highlighting this year the work of two Asian-Brazilian creatives – Silveira, and artist Tomie Ohtake, who is creating a showcase in the house that the Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake designed for his mother.

While Ohtake's undoubtedly masterful house has been celebrated widely over the years, the Silveira residence, formerly the architect’s own home, remained under the radar. Until now – as the exhibition organisers picked the home in São Paulo’s Morumbi neighbourhood precisely for its lesser-known presence in the public realm.

With its bold concrete and glass structure, the house was crafted to symbolise a vision for the home of the future, at the time of its design – bringing together a powerful aesthetic with functionality.

Cool, smooth glass surfaces are juxtaposed with rougher concrete textures in a composition that was meant to be lived in and enjoyed – rather than simply admired as an art piece.

Within the house, a range of pieces will be displayed by creatives across the art and design fields. Among them will be Silveira's youngest son, Alan Chu, who will celebrate his mother's legacy through a showcase of his designs, edited by Etel Gallery.

'The concept of ABERTO takes roots in the iconic 1922 Modern Art Week, a cornerstone movement that brought together artists, architects, and writers, and established the groundwork for creative intersection among disciplines. This event inspired our ongoing exploration of Brazilian Modernism and its relevance in contemporary culture where art, design and modern architecture come together,' says Assis.

ABERTO's inaugural edition took place in the only private residence ever built in São Paulo by architect Oscar Niemeyer; while the second edition was in a house designed by Villanova Artigas, a leading figure of the Paulista School of Architecture.

The Chu Ming Silveira residence and the Tomie Ohtake residence will be open to the public during ABERTO from 10 August to 6 October 2024

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