The story of this home design began back when the client had the idea of situating a swimming pool in his apartment, a 477 square metre duplex in São Paulo, Brazil. Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados embraced the challenge, and proposed that a glass pool be made a novel part of the living room by amalgamating it with huge windows there. The next part of the project was to suitably house and display the homeowner’s large art collection and its future growth. To do this, a minimalist aesthetic was employed to create a gallery setting, along with a lighting scheme that would enhance the works.
Architect Fernanda Marques reflects: "Building the pool structure was the most challenging aspect in the project. To achieve the result very thick, imported glass was used and specialized labor required to install it. Looking back, I think it was well worth it. Neither the owners nor I can imagine the apartment without it.”
The glass swimming pool is a huge feature of the luxury living room, which introduces an entire wall of aqua blue to the neutral minimalistic space. The rest of the colour comes predominantly from towering walls of vertical garden around the outside of the home, which grows stunning green and red foliage.
Fernanda Marques explains: “I designed the apartment for a couple with no children. The owner works in the financial market and is a keen art collector. He owns works by artists I greatly admire, such as Ernesto Neto, Edgard de Souza, Manoel Rio Branco, Zerbini, Tunga. The works speak directly to the issue of space – hence the importance of their placement in the project”.
The swimming pool is framed by the architecture, like a painting. “To a certain extent”, says Marques, “I think I ended up providing the home with another work of art”.
The lower level of the two storey apartment is home to the living room, dining room, and kitchen. A mezzanine level links the ground floor living room with the master bedroom. Guest bedrooms, a fitness room, an office, and access to the swimming pool are also found on the upper floor.
A large piece of art brings additional colour high on the TV wall of the double height living room. Because the main goal for the interior space was to fluidly and harmoniously display all of the client’s art collection, and leave more space to grow, a minimalist approach was the most fitting.
"I didn’t want the furniture to overwhelm the works of art, but rather to serve as support and counterpoint to them. This is the reason behind the preponderance of Brazilian designers and light colors”, explains the architect.
A wireframe sculptural chair sits by the garden view in the living room, a piece of man-made art poised in front of nature's organic beauty.
The view from the mezzanine is impressive and peaceful.
Out on the small garden terrace, a driftwood piece adds to the natural setting.
At the other side of the garden, an external staircase gives rise to a second storey sun terrace and the upper floor of the duplex.
The concrete staircase design cuts geometric shape into the natural environment and a timber clad wall.
Mature plants in the vertical garden overhang the pale concrete and glass balustrades.
Stainless steel units make up a professional chef-style kitchen.
A luxury dining room is set for eight. The long dining tabletop balances on a single central column.
A full wall of wine storage decorates the width of the dining room, behind a wet bar, whilst sculptural art brings interest to the floor.
The interior staircase is like a piece of art within itself.
Each wooden tread rises individually from the floor at one side, and disappears into the wall at the other.
An important consideration in highlighting the sizable art collection was the lighting scheme. Where the main gallery is curated on the lower floor, a single track-lighting rail offers several multi-directional spots, with the capability of accepting more as the gallery evolves.
This gallery space leads from the dining room into the back of the apartment.
A hammock inspired chaise lounge chair gives the art lover a place to absorb the collection at leisure.
The lighting system creates dramatic pools of light and shadow.
There is a bathroom located at one end of the gallery space.
A unique pedestal sink is freestanding in front of the window, where frosted glass obscures the view.
Patio doors bring daylight into the back of the room.
The modern home office is all business. Two modern desks face into the centre of a darkly decorated study area, where bookshelves fill the wall from floor to rafters.
The mezzanine bedroom is light filled and brightly decorated. Green leafy panorama comes in through the clear glass balustrade.
Bright yellow storage units bring sunshine to each side of the bed. Decorative vases bring a splash of garden colour right inside the space too.
Of course, there is more of the homeowners’ beloved artwork in the bedroom to bring colour and character.
Area rugs are layered beneath the bed and a stylish bedroom chair.
Pilates equipment is given an enviable window position in the fitness room, with views of the swimming pool and vertical gardens.
The narrow pool design is accessed off the mezzanine master bedroom. Sunloungers rest at the water’s edge.
The main bathroom is a sleek compilation of pale stone tiles and grey marble slabs.
A luxury freestanding bathtub stretches out in front of a small courtyard filled with greenery.
Lower level floor plan.
Upper level floor plan.
