Protótipo da fachada ventilada do edifício Platina 220 - 14ᵃ Bienal Internacional de Arquitetura de São Paulo

Project implementation: Brazil
Project development: Brazil

This 1:2 scale prototype presents, in detail, a section of the facade of Platina 220, a building designed for the Tatuapé neighborhood of São Paulo. By presenting a constructed fragment, the exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to closely understand the construction logic and materials that make up this landmark building in the urban landscape of São Paulo.

Unlike the most common solution in corporate buildings—a continuous glass skin—Platina 220 adopts a ventilated façade system. In this model, the external porcelain cladding is attached to the masonry using a metal support, creating a cavity between the two layers for air circulation. This solution, in addition to enhancing the building's architectural expression, is technically and sustainably designed: the constant air circulation removes approximately 20% of the incoming heat, improving thermal insulation and reducing the internal air conditioning load.

The construction logic is directly linked to the architectural gesture. The openings, distributed in a non-linear fashion, are combined with terraces arranged in different positions, creating a singular volume. The building's vertical prism thus appears to be sculpted by the solids and voids of the facade, generating dynamism and an architectural interpretation that goes beyond the repetition of floors.

Another striking aspect is the use of darker tones in the lower block, which visually reinforces the tower's verticality and creates the impression of buttresses—as if supporting the structure and lending solidity to the whole. This articulation of technique and form contributes to a building with a strong presence in the urban fabric, balancing constructive rationality, energy efficiency, and visual identity.

In the exhibition, the prototype is not merely a representational exercise. It functions as a key to interpreting the real building, bringing the public closer to the project's materiality. By revealing the thickness of the facade, the fastening system, and the relationship between the planes, this physical cutout highlights how architecture can be simultaneously rigorous, innovative, and sensitive to contemporary demands for comfort, sustainability, and aesthetic expression.

Participate in the program of debates, workshops and associated activities!

TODAY (10.10)

2:30 pm – table Risk-Free Periphery in the Context of Climate Change

4pm – table Knowing to Transform: Community Climate Risk Reduction and Adaptation Plans

6:30 pm – table Inclusive Adaptation: Nature-Based Solutions in the Peripheries

9am – Drawing Workshop: Oscar Niemeyer's Architecture in Ibirapuera Park and the Climate Challenge

IN THE NEXT DAYS (11 to 14.10)

ATTENTION the table Palmas: For 36 years, the ecological capital of Tocantins which would be held on 10/11 | 7pm was canceled.

11.10 and 12.10 | 9am – workshop Inventa(rio) Fronteiras: Playing for Multispecies Cities

11.10 | 10am – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 11am – table Learning to inhabit the Anthropocene: the crisis of architecture

11.10 | 2pm – table Architecture for Learning and Civic Use

11.10 | 3pm – table Culture and Public Architecture

11.10 – 15h – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 4pm – table Reconnecting with Nature & Circular Design

11.10 | 5pm – table Architecture of Belonging: Interpreting Heritage Through Place

12.10 | 10am – table Experience: Climate Refuges and Naturalized Public Spaces, with Eco-Neighborhood

12.10 | 10:30 am – table Childhoods and Climate: Climate Justice in Vulnerable Territories

12.10 | 10:30 am – Windsock Workshop with the Floating Collective

12.10 | 3pm – table Doing a lot with a little: architectures for a planet in transition with Esteban Benavides from Al Borde office

12.10 | 4:30 pm – table Earth – building a sustainable and democratic future

12.10 | 5:45 pm – table French presence at the Biennale and screening of the film AJAP – Albums of Young Architects and Landscape Architects

13.10 – activity Pantanal Action at IABsp

10/14 | 10am – table Urgent Panorama! Space as an act of permanence

14.10 | 6pm – Launch of the “Nature-Based Education” Guide

JOIN! IT'S ALL FREE!

And there's much more until October 19th!

NOTE OF CONDOLENCE

With deep sorrow, the Brazilian Institute of Architects – São Paulo Department (IABsp) mourns the passing of architect and landscape architect Kongjian Yu, a global leader in ecological urbanism, and the members of his team who accompanied him, tragically killed during the filming of a documentary. The institute is honored to have had him as a participant in the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, where his transformative vision strengthened the dialogue between global challenges and local realities. IABsp emphasizes that Yu's contribution, which transcends borders, will remain an inspiration for generations and expresses its condolences to China, to the families of all the deceased, to his friends, and to all those impacted by his genius and dedication. Read the full note here.

Prototype of the ventilated facade of the Platina 220 building

Jorge Königsberger and Gianfranco Vannucchi