Selected Projects by Sao Paulo Based Architects MNMA Studio

Brazilian design studio MNMA has a way of turning jaded interior concepts – ‘cool’ retail stores, ‘avant-garde’ galleries – into noteworthy spaces with tangible individuality.

Based in Sao Paulo, the interdisciplinary architecture studio “believe in processes that do not speak of form but rather of sensations, from the ephemeral to the permanent”. This approach ensures their architecture surpasses the simple answer in terms of material comfort, fulfiling a greater task of engaging back to both the user and the greater community.

From sunny beach houses on the shores of Northeast Brazil to conceptual art-driven installations, we take a look at some of our favourite MNMA projects below.

Cupe House. Photography by Andre Klotz.

Set in a former coconut farm in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, MNMA utilized local materials and techniques in building Cupe House. A golden yellow floor is the defining feature, surrounded by sunlit balconies and terraces with unobstructed ocean views.

Locally farmed timber and eucalyptus were used throughout, and the walls whitewashed according to a local technique that evaporates moisture and has a non-toxic fungicide effect. Much of the ceiling is made from branches and sticks collected throughout the renovation process, allowing natural light to filter through in an ephemeral way.

The team of native workers, including local fisherman, were introduced to materials such as concrete and even cement, bridging innovation and sustainability. Furniture by renowned Brazilian architect and designer Sérgio Rodrigues and various items from the Cariri Artisan Market are dotted throughout the house.

Estufa Galeria Emma Thomas. Photography by Andre Klotz.

Estufa Galeria Emma Thomas in São Paulo was created as the result of an urge to make art more publicly accessible, adaptable, and transportable. MNMA constructed the simple cube using several layers of luminous white fabric, creating a metaphorical ‘greenhouse’ – a protected place for art to flourish and prosper.

The impermanence of the fabric structure subverts the stereotypical, stuffy notion of a ‘white box’ gallery. The gallery remained for three months, hosting various works that examined the dysfunctional elements within idealized capitalism, and a will to reconnect with nature. The art examined life cycles, processions of transformation, and impermanence.

Superficie Gallery. Photography by Naira Mattia.

Also in São Paulo, Surface Gallery examines the architectural heritage of Portugal and the state of Minas Gerais. MNMA employed the ‘cantaria’ technique introduced to Colonial Brazil in 1549, the craft of manually carving blocks out of whole rocks. The process was used to create the step and workbench within the gallery.

An accessibility issue was solved using a manual ‘mestres calceteiros’ process to level out the sidewalk, a historical aesthetic using natural basalt stones. The walls were painted bright white by mixing earth, water, and natural pigments developed by Passalacqua specially for the project.

Apartment 61. Photography by André Klotz.

Apartment 61 is an experimental gallery designed by MNMA Studio for Forma and L’Atelier. The 100sqm Sao Paulo residence is one of the city’s first modernist houses, built by artist Victor Brecheret around 1939 and later renovated by architect Rino Levi. The site is now operated as a ‘gallery house’ curated by couple André Visockis and Vivian Lobato, displaying a refined collection of furniture and catering to avid collectors from all over the world.

See more images & read the full article here.

Haight Fashion Store. Photography by Fran Parente.

The retail store for fashion brand Haight is a how-to lesson in organic brutalism. The 80sqm interior is at the base of a 25-storey residential building in the beachside suburb of Leblon, Rio de Janeiro. Faced with a challenging, irregular layout and obstructive central column, MNMA got creative. They clad the column in grey marble, turning it into a striking central feature.

MNMA inserted a glass-encased concrete slab to create a mezzanine dressing room, reached via a sweeping set of concrete stairs. Another concrete slab covers most of the ceiling, stopping just short of the interior walls. Strip lights hidden in between the gap make the perimeter of the store appear to glow.

See more images & read the full article here.

Set Design for Animale Spfw 2017. Photography by André Klotz.

MNMA did the set design for Brazilian brand Animale’s 2017 fashion show, creating mirrored blocks that could be reconfigured to form a runway or separate podiums. The linear space was flanked by vertical led lights and cool grey walls and ceiling, creating an overall futuristic vibe.

Producer in Good Company Boutique Office. Photography by André Klotz.

MNMA designed this São Paulo office space as clean and minimal, with seamless white floors and walls and an exposed concrete ceiling. The open plan features glass walls to section off meeting rooms, rather than an obtrusive opaque wall.

Large windows and a skylight allow abundant natural light, with LED strips mounted in black metal frames providing additional brightness and a decorative addition. A quirky bathroom features a sink clad the same black and white squares as the splashback behind it.