Itaú Cultural

Brazilian architecture practice Estúdio Módulo has released its competition-winning designs for the headquarters of Itaú Cultural, which feature a tall, slender building wrapped in glass and white louvres.

The São Paulo-based architectural studio's design for Itaú Cultural, an arts research institute, was selected through a competition involving six firms.

The design is meant to "establish an intense relationship with the city, both visually and through its use, almost as a continuation of the urban space," said Estúdio Módulo.

"The composition seeks to articulate the legacy of Brazilian concrete art, high-tech solutions with a sustainable character, and references to popular art," the team added.

The design by Estúdio Módulo consists of a slender, rectangular building with 19 levels, eight of which are below ground.

The upper levels are enveloped in a semi-transparent white screen. A terracotta-coloured staircase – meant to evoke "the artisanal character of Brazilian folk art" – is visible through floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

"A skin of white louvres filters the light and gradually reveals the presence of colour in the interior planes, activated by the observer's movement," the team said.

"In oblique and lateral views, the facade surprises with the chromatic dynamism that manifests itself behind the brise-soleil, making the building a kind of kinetic work of art."

The tower rises from a low podium, where a large central cutout will be the primary entrance. The podium's rooftop will have a terrace ringed by glass balconies, with onlookers able to view the street activity below.

"Terraces overlooking the avenue create moments of pause and strengthen the relationship between the institution and the city," the team said.

Totalling 12,275 square metres, the tower will contain spaces for exhibitions, performances and educational offerings, along with studios and public gathering areas.