Suspended Space: Pelusi Residence in Saõ Paulo by Carolina Maluhy.

There is nothing like being in the heart of a big city while feeling a true sense of peace. This is exactly what Brazilian-born, London-based architect Carolina Maluhy achieved with this penthouse located in Sao Paulo. Designed for two people with Italian and Puerto Rican backgrounds, the space reflects Maluhy’s skill of focusing on a few materials while combining them with pure shapes and creating balanced proportions.

Offering views of both the urban skyline and tropical vegetation, this home has almost no division between the different spaces, which are all connected through one flooring material — travertine marble — to create cohesion.

“The absence of formal distractions highlights the porosity of the noble Italian material, the haphazardness of its grains, the dignity of its aging and its subtle colour variations”, says Maluhy.

The openness that characterises the social areas is an ode to Brazilian architecture, especially that which followed the inauguration of the Ministry of Health and Education building — which has become an indisputable reference — designed by Le Corbusier, Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in the 1940s.

Previously used as an open terrace, the second floor of the penthouse now features a square dome with a brise-soleil to help regulate the effects of light throughout the day while framing the starry sky at night.

Despite the minimal use of colour, the different proportions and impacts of natural light and textures create visual dynamism. The neutral palette is an invitation to contemplate the numerous pieces of furniture and art, which adorn all the spaces.

“The challenge of the project was to orchestrate both collections — art and furniture — in a functional home without having another layer added by architecture, having it be only the base, such as the first strokes of white paint that prepare the canvas”, confesses Maluhy.

Artworks by Italian-born, Brazilian-based political and feminist artist Anna Maria Maiolino combine with a xylophone by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, Coca-Cola bottles by Brazilian conceptual artist and sculptor Cildo Meireles, a neon sign by Chilean-born Alfredo Jaar with the verse “M’illumino d’immenso” by Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti, as well as works by Brazilian artists Renata Lucas and Rivane Neuenschwander.

Vintage furniture from the 50s and 60s — such as tables and chairs by Jorge Zalszupin, the Jangada lounge chair by Jean Gillon, and pieces by Joaquim Tenreiro, Giuseppe Scapinelli, Geraldo de Barros and Lina Bo Bardi — complement the look, showcasing the best of modernist design and creating the perfect harmony.

In the home of these collectors, daily life and reflection through art subtly intertwine in a calm and curated atmosphere, which pays tribute to Brazilian and Latin American cultures and creativity.

Related: (Entre)Tempos: A Tribute to Jorge Zalszupin.

[Images courtesy of Carolina Maluhy. Photography by Ruy Teixeira.]