Project implementation: Brazil
Project development: Brazil
The Virginia building was inaugurated in 1951, designed by architect José Augusto Bellucci and engineer Luiz Maiorana.
The building was commissioned by the Matarazzo family to serve as a rental property for Virginia Matarazzo Ippolito. With 11 floors, two apartment blocks, and four shops on the ground floor, it was a high- and mid-income residential complex in its early decades.
With the economic decline of the central region in the 1970s, the building changed from residential to commercial and was gradually abandoned, closing its doors in 2019. In 2020, it was acquired by Somauma, a developer focused on retrofitting.
The new project, developed by Metrópole Arq, was based on an in-depth analysis of the existing building, aiming to adapt it to the new context while respecting its architectural qualities. The facade will be restored while maintaining its formal characteristics and finishes. The apartments were redesigned to meet the region's new housing demands, with units ranging from 26 to 182 m² that fit the building's modularity, preserving the parquet floors, access to balconies, large windows, high ceilings, good lighting, and natural ventilation. All window frames and railings were replaced, meeting the new space configurations, thermal and acoustic performance, and safety standards.
The circulation pipes were updated to meet safety standards. All plumbing and electrical installations were redone to meet the building's new demands.
The building features common areas for a gym, laundry facilities, and bike storage. The ground-floor shops will reopen to the sidewalk, and a gallery will be created connecting Martins Fontes and Álvaro de Carvalho streets.
A commercial space was designed on the roof, offering stunning views of the surrounding area. This space features a lightweight glued laminate structure and a garden with native species.
Metropolis Architects
In its two decades of existence, Metrópole_arq has been responsible for projects that are present in the country's cultural scene, both public and private, and of various scales. The firm focuses on expography and cultural heritage preservation, and its current partners, Anna Helena Villela, Silvio Oksman, and Ana Paula Pontes, actively participate, both jointly and individually, in projects developed in museums and cultural spaces throughout Brazil.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET:
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, Brazil.
YEAR: 2025
METROPOLIS ARCHITECTS TEAM:
Silvio Oksman, Lia Soares, Mariah Peruzzo, Camila Vasconcelos, Amanda Klajner, Eric Dick, Fabiana Costa, Micaela Kosmalski.
INCORPORATION AND WORK:
Somauma
MANAGEMENT:
Tools Engineering
WOODEN STRUCTURES:
Ita Construtora
LIGHTING PROJECT:
Lux Projects
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
Imperfect Beauties
BIM MODELING:
Studio +1
SYSTEMS:
Adolfi, RRP Projects and RGK
STRUCTURES:
Emplatec
FRAME CONSULTING:
Polar Ltd.
FIREMEN:
Engeplot
SEALS AND PERFORMANCE:
Versatile
ACCESSIBILITY CONSULTING:
Inovatech