Roca São Paulo Gallery’s architecture is a tribute to the Atlantic Forest
Roca São Paulo Gallery designed by architect Fernanda Marques opens in Brazil
Roca São Paulo Gallery, the design-led bathroom products manufacturer's new creative home in Brazil, has just launched in the prestigious Avenida Brasil. The space, designed by local architect Fernanda Marques, was conceived to foster conversation and imagination, and is the latest in a series of similar brand outposts for Roca across the world, including Barcelona and Madrid (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), London (England), Shanghai and Beijing (China).
Roca São Paulo Gallery: a nod to the Atlantic Forest
The architecture of the new Roca São Paulo Gallery takes its inspiration from the Atlantic Forest. Marques taps into her arsenal of minimalist, contemporary forms (past works have included striking residential work such as Casa Jabuticaba), and adds a nod to the natural world, through her use of materials and the relationship she crafts between interiors and exteriors.
'The invitation to design the Roca São Paulo Gallery was a great honour and imposed a series of responsibilities on me in a very positive way. It meant having the opportunity to leave my mark on a project that invades the urban dimension, combining architecture, design, innovation and sustainability. It was also an opportunity to share my creative vision for a significant space in the city and to contribute to the promotion of knowledge and the meeting of professionals in my field. For all these reasons, it has inspired me to continue striving for excellence in my life and career,' says the architect.
Landscape designer Alex Hanazaki is behind the artful gardens and planted terraces throughout, reinforcing this bond with nature. Meanwhile curated furniture by Marques makes for an elegant and functionally flexible space, and includes some of the architect's own designs – the ‘Serras’ coffee table and the ‘Infinito’ bench.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ new project will be Miami’s priciest condo
Construction has commenced at The Delmore, an oceanfront condominium from the design firm founded by the late Zaha Hadid, ZHA
By Anna Solomon Published
-
This Beirut design collective threads untold stories into upholstered antique furniture
Beirut-based Bokja opens a Notting Hill pop-up that's a temple to textiles, from upholstered furniture to embroidered cushions crafted by artisans (until 25 March 2025)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
The Peninsula Hotels broadens its artistic horizons with Victoria and Albert Museum partnership
The Peninsula Hotels and Victoria and Albert Museum announce a multi-year collaboration set to produce world-class art experiences around the world
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie Stathaki
The top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Restoring São Paulo: Planta’s mesmerising Brazilian brand of midcentury ‘urban recycling’
Brazilian developer Planta Inc set out to restore São Paulo’s historic centre and return it to the heyday of tropical modernism
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
All aboard Casa Quinta, floating in Brazil’s tropical rainforest
Casa Quinta by Brazilian studio Arquipélago appears to float at canopy level in the heart of the rainforest that flanks the picturesque town of Paraty on the coast between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
Feel like a movie? The top 50 films of all time according to Marcio Kogan
Marcio Kogan's top 50 films of all time; the architect taps into his passion for the moving image and shares with us his recommendations
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Studio mk27 and Marcio Kogan’s greatest hits: from voluptuous villas to relaxing retreats
Studio mk27, led by Wallpaper* guest editor Marcio Kogan, is behind buildings that make us swoon; here are the best of the best
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practices
In the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
How guest editor Marcio Kogan, during a visit to the movies, ‘discovered that something else exists in the world, real poetry’
Marcio Kogan is a guest editor of Wallpaper* October 2024. In his dedicated section, we discover how the world of cinema’s loss was architecture’s gain when a feature film failed but a dream space creator rose from the ashes
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
Brazilian modernism finds its latest expression in Studio Porto’s AG House
Studio Porto, an emerging Brazilian practice, joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024
By Ellie Stathaki Published