Page 123 - AIT1024_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design guaja.cc + facury, BR-Belo Horizonte
Bauherr • Client Greenpeace Brasil, BR-São Paulo
Standort • Location Av. Ipiranga 200, BR-São Paulo
Nutzfläche • Floor space 825 m 2
Fotos • Photos Manuel Sá, BR-São Paulo
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 166

HEADQUARTER

IN SÃO PAULO

The Edifício Copan is and remains – Dubai willing – the
largest residential building in the world. In the centre of
São Paulo, Oscar Niemeyer’s 32-storey landmark seems
to rise endlessly into the sky. If you lower your gaze, the
new headquarters of Greenpeace Brazil is revealed on
the first floor – true to the organization’s values, with an
emphasis on simplicity and transparency.

T he striking shape of the Edifício Copan, which was completed in
1966 and whose 116,000 square metres of living space are still a
valid response to the housing shortage decades later, is characterized
by six curved residential blocks in a row. Greenpeace Brazil decided
to move from an affluent district to this venerable building. A move
that is more than just a relocation – it is a conscious turn towards the
city’s urban centre, which was characterized by rapid growth and social
upheaval in the 1960s. This choice emphasizes the organization’s com-
mitment to the revitalization of São Paulo’s city centre, environmental
justice and sustainable urban development. The abundance of urban
infrastructure – both in terms of mobility and its various modalities and
in the provision of services in their multiple expressions – favours the
activities of the entity. Greenpeace has moved into its new headquarters
on the first floor, where a publicly accessible access level extends the
walkway. Behind the round concrete pillars, the extensive glazing pro-
Grundriss • Floor plan vides transparent views of the interior spaces and thus strengthens the
organization’s urban presence. The interior design by Lucas Durães and
João Pedro is not modelled on Niemeyer and does not appear specta-
cular at first glance. Instead, it follows the idea of reduction, which the
two describe as “quiet architecture”. They deliberately avoid anything
superfluous, which is expressed in the use of plywood, raw surfaces
and exposed installations. A philosophy of voluntary renunciation that
is already evident in a prominent place when you enter the rooms: The
plywood reception counter could just as easily be in a skate shop – or
even more aptly for São Paulo, in a surfboard-hire shop. The item of fur-
niture gives the room a pleasant, unpretentious touch. Thanks to sliding
walls and modular elements, the room layout allows for adaptive use
– from reception to office and multi-purpose rooms to the “warehouse”,
a creative space for workshops and the development of communicati-
on strategies. Here and there, a colourful curtain, a striking carpet or
a colour-accentuated wall (reversible) enliven the interior. A pinch of
Axonometrie • Axonometry Niemeyer, a hint of skate shop and a large amount of Greenpeace ...

AIT 10.2024 • 123