Paulo Mendes da Rocha and MMBB Arquitetos transform disused São Paulo tower block into vibrant leisure destination
by Kim Megson | 28 Mar 2018
Brazilian design studio MMBB Arquitetos and legendary architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha have collaborated on the transformation of a disused tower block in central São Paulo into a vibrant leisure destination for the city.
Created for Brazilian non-profit SESC, the 14-storey building, situated on Rua 24 de Maio and Rua Dom José de Barro, has been stripped of several unnecessary elements – including a bankrupt department store at its heart – to clear space.
New facilities have been introduced in their place, including a health club, climbing wall, library, restaurant, galleries, cafe, dance studio, rooftop swimming pool and a subterranean theatre. Hanging gardens, covered squares and balconies create additional mini public spaces across the building.
Circulation has been enhanced with the introduction of large ramps connecting each floor. According to the design team, “in addition to their main function, these liven up the visitor experience, allowing an unleashed and playful stroll through the building.”
“Our design approach was to make the whole building breathe better and more suitable for its new uses,” they added in a statement.
The structure’s glass cladding has been revamped to expose life inside the building, invite pedestrians in and provide panoramic views of the city for its users.
Da Rocha is famous for his numerous cultural buildings in Brazil, particularly in Sao Paulo. Built in his trademark Brutalist style with exposed concrete structures and rough finishes, these include the Athletic Club of São Paulo, the Brazilian Sculpture Museum MuBE (1988), Patriach Plaza (1992-2002), the Pinacoteca do Estado gallery (1993) and the FIESP Cultural Center (1997).
He was awarded the 2017 Royal Gold Medal for architecture by the Royal Institute of British Architects – an accolade given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence “either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture”.
The preceding year, he won the Praemium Imperiale global prize, among the most valuable in the profession, from the Japan Art Association and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2016 Venice Biennale.
Several high-profile leisure and hospitality projects are being developed in São Paulo, including a plant-covered Rosewood hotel designed by Jean Nouvel and an Oetker Collection hotel within an abandoned Brazilian palace designed by the iconic late architect Oscar Niemeyer.
MMBB Arquitetos Paulo Mendes da Rocha São Paulo leisure SESC Brazil
New facilities have been introduced in their place, including a health club, climbing wall, library, restaurant, galleries, cafe, dance studio, rooftop swimming pool and a subterranean theatre
The building is a new leisure destination for the people of São Paulo
A health club and climbing wall are among the leisure facilities that have opened
Circulation has been enhanced with the introduction of large ramps connecting each floor, allowing visiotrs to stroll through the building
da Rocha was awarded the 2017 Royal Gold Medal for architecture by the Royal Institute of British Architects / RIBA
Paulo Mendes Da Rocha awarded RIBA Royal Gold Medal for architectural influence
Paulo Mendes da Rocha wins prestigious Praemium Imperiale architecture prize
Paulo Mendes da Rocha to receive Golden Lion lifetime award at Venice Biennale
Brazilian design studio MMBB Arquitetos and legendary architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha have collaborated on the transformation of a disused tower block in central São Paulo into a vibrant leisure destination for the city. Created for Brazilian non-profit SESC, the 14-storey building, situated on Rua 24 de Maio and Rua Dom José de Barro, has been stripped of several unnecessary elements – including a bankrupt department store at its heart
CLD,SAR,HAF,ARC,DES
More news
BRC selected to design new World Food Center – will explore sustainability and global food supply
by Tom Walker | 19 Jan 2021
Design specialist BRC Imagination Arts (BRC) has been selected to design and produce the World Food Center Experience in Ede, the Netherlands. The attraction will become an interactive platform exploring the impact of the world’s food choices and the importance of sustainable and healthy food production. BRC's concept will take guests on a personalised journey that will "challenge what they know about how food is produced and consumed, worldwide". The
Ritz-Carlton Reserve opens with luxury spa at Japanese alpine ski resort
by Megan Whitby | 13 Jan 2021
The Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio has expanded, with the opening of a premium all-season alpine resort at one of Japan's top winter sports destinations in Hokkaido. Owned by YTL Hotels, the 50-room Higashiyama Niseko Village resort is the first Japanese Ritz-Carlton Reserve and YTL's fifth destination in Niseko Village, residing at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri with panoramic mountain views. Niseko Village has been selected as the venue for some
Scott Brownrigg-designed Museum of Military Medicine in Cardiff given planning approval
by Tom Walker | 12 Jan 2021
The Museum of Military Medicine in the UK has received planning approval for a new building in the city of Cardiff. As a result, the historic attraction will move from its current home in Surrey to a new flagship facility designed by architects Scott Brownrigg. The new building – set to be located in Cardiff Bay – will host the museum's comprehensive collection of archives and exhibitions documenting the legacy
Work starts on US$898m e-sports arena in Shanghai
by Tom Walker | 12 Jan 2021
Construction work has begun on the huge Shanghai International New Cultural and Creative esports Center. The 500,000sq m venue is estimated to cost around 5.8 billion yuan ($898.2m) and forms part of a larger, US$1.5bn project. Built by Chinese property company SuperGen Group – the parent company of Chinese esports organisation Edward Gaming (EDG) – the venue is located in the city's Minhang District. The 6,000-seat arena is expected to
Gyms added to the mix for new super-luxe retail roll-out
by Tom Walker | 08 Jan 2021
Frasers Group will open three new regional flagship Flannels-branded retail stores during 2021 – each of which will feature fitness studios. The Mike Ashley-owned retail group is betting on a recovery for British high streets with the plans, which will see stores opening in Liverpool, Leicester and Sheffield. As well as a seven-floor Flannels megastore on Liverpool's iconic Parker Street, Frasers will convert the existing House of Fraser store at
OMA designs Miami Beach's ReefLine – a seven mile-long underwater sculpture park
by Tom Walker | 03 Jan 2021
Architecture firm OMA has revealed designs for an ambitious underwater sculpture park which will stretch across seven miles off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, US. Called ReefLine, the park is being developed by BlueLab Preservation Society in partnership with the City of Miami Beach and Coral Morphologic. It will feature art installations located around 20ft under water, which can only be viewed while snorkeling or diving. Conceived by cultural
Ole Scheeren and Shigeru Ban team up to design art and cultural destination in Hangzhou
by Tom Walker | 31 Dec 2020
Büro Ole Scheeren and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban have been appointed to create a masterplan for the Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project in China. Together, the architects will establish a new art and cultural destination in the historical city on behalf of New World Development Company, a Hong Kong-based group focused on property, infrastructure and hotels – and one of the largest foreign direct investors in mainland China. With
FIFA files criminal complaint over funding of €459m world football museum
by Tom Walker | 28 Dec 2020
Football's world governing body FIFA has filed a criminal complaint over what it describes as "criminal mismanagement" of the World Football Museum project in Zurich. The project was first announced by disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2012 and the attraction opened its doors in February 2017 at a cost of around CHF500m (€459m, £415m). The 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) museum is part of a larger development which includes
ReardonSmith leads design of Heya – a hotel room concept offering personalisation for each guest
by Tom Walker | 26 Dec 2020
A new hotel room concept which "shapes around the visitors" looks to transform the overnight experience for hotel guests. Called Heya, the concept was created by a team of designers, led by ReardonSmith Architects. Using technology and innovative design, Heya can be dramatically reconfigured by guests to suit their purpose and is built around the idea that guests shouldn’t have to settle into their room: it should take shape around
Disney reveals first visuals of ambitious Star Wars attraction – including designs for hotel 'pods'
by Tom Walker | 15 Dec 2020
Disney has released the first visuals of its Star Wars -themed Galactic Starcruiser resort, which is set to open at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida next year. The ambitious new attraction will offer accommodation in hotel 'pods', which are part of a new type of "ultra-deep immersion" experience into the Star Wars universe. Each guest will be able to become the hero of their own adventure during a two-day,
Flaxmill Maltings – the world's first cast-iron framed building – is to be redeveloped as a visitor attraction by Mather & Co
by Tom Walker | 15 Dec 2020
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, one of the most important buildings of the UK's industrial past, is to be restored and redeveloped as a heritage visitor attraction. Built in 1797, the building is known as the "grandparent of the modern-day skyscraper", due to its pioneering cast iron frame, which was the first of its kind in the world and paved the way for the development of skyscrapers. It operated as a flax
LVMH announces Bulgari Hotel for Miami Beach, with design by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel
by Megan Whitby | 10 Dec 2020
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will open a new property in Miami Beach, Florida, in 2024. The Bulgari Hotel Miami Beach will be a 100-key beachfront hotel, offering a luxury wellness retreat complete with a large spa and fitness centre and outdoor pool. The hotel will be housed inside a building originally created by Miami architect Albert Anis in the late 1950s, located in the National Register Architectural District. The design
Technogym opens retail store in Los Angeles
by Tom Walker | 09 Dec 2020
Technogym has opened the latest of its consumer-facing retail store concepts in Los Angeles, US. The two-floor store, covering 3,500sq ft, is located in the heart of the West Hollywood Design District and will showcase the full range of Technogym's equipment and services. Specifically targeting the high-end consumer market, the store will allow people to access and discover the company's at-home products and solutions. Staff at the site will include
AZPML and UKST win competition to design Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture
by Tom Walker | 09 Dec 2020
Architects AZPML and UKST have secured the commission to design the Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture (KMUA), a £31.4m project in Sejong, South Korea. The competition was organised by the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC), which is looking to establish a museum exploring the history and the development of the built environment across the country. With a total floor area of 17,050sq m, the museum will be
Delos partners with TPP Capital to advance access to health and wellbeing solutions in urban communities
by Megan Whitby | 08 Dec 2020
Global wellness real estate and technology company Delos is collaborating with TPP Capital Management Group (TPP) – a Black-led social impact private equity fund manager and healthcare real estate development firm – to advance health and wellness through buildings in urban communities. The partnership will first work to transform Tioga District in North Philadelphia, US, with evidence-based healthy building strategies and solutions. The district has an 85.5 per cent Black
The Well creates integrated wellness retreat in New England countryside for Auberge Resorts
by Megan Whitby | 04 Dec 2020
The Well has struck its first-ever hospitality partnership and developed a holistic wellbeing retreat for Auberge Resort Collection’s Mayflower Inn & Spa resort, in Connecticut. The opening will complete Mayflower Inn’s property-wide transformation including a redesign of the 35-room resort, led by interior designer Celerie Kembele. The Well is a modern wellness brand known for its first location in New York which offers integrated holistic health solutions and access to
Architects 10 Design reveal plans for ambitious Edinburgh city centre plans
by Tom Walker | 28 Nov 2020
International architecture practice 10 Design has revealed its design concepts for an ambitious redevelopment of Edinburgh’s city centre. The project will transform the former Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) site on Dundas Street into a first-rate mixed-use development, which will create a new urban centre, providing a significant addition of public realm, including hotel, retail, residential and office components. The development will replace the existing car park and the ex-RBS
Perth's Boola Bardip museum opens in new AU$400m building designed by Hassell and OMA
by Tom Walker | 24 Nov 2020
Western Australia's new $400m WA Museum Boola Bardip, in the heart of Perth's Cultural Centre, has officially opened after four years of construction. Charting the rich heritage of Western Australia (WA), the museum houses eight permanent exhibition galleries, a 1,000sq m special exhibition gallery, life-long learning studios and retail, café and public spaces. The Museum has been conceived as a ‘collection of stories’ about WA's diversity, history and contemporary culture.
UK Government's £1bn scheme to decarbonise is 'a huge opportunity' for the leisure industries
by Tom Walker | 19 Nov 2020
The UK government has launched a £1bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), providing grant funding for energy efficiency measures across the public sector. The funding has been made available for capital sustainability and heat decarbonisation projects within public sector non-domestic buildings, including central government departments and non-departmental public bodies in England. Public sector bodies can apply for a grant to finance up to 100 per cent of the costs of
Museum devoted to the history of the US Army opens its doors
by Tom Walker | 16 Nov 2020
A museum telling the story of the US Army has opened in close to Newington, close to Washington, D.C. The National Museum of the United States Army (NMUSA) is the first to outline the rich heritage of the oldest branch of the United States military had has been designed to serve as a center of education and as the Army’s symbolic "front door". Rather than focusing on battles or wars,
Architrave designs Banyan Tree Krabi with rainforest-themed spa
by Megan Whitby | 09 Nov 2020
Banyan Tree Group has begun welcoming guests to a new 72-key beachfront resort and spa in Southern Thailand, named Banyan Tree Krabi. Design studio, Architrave, realised the new resort which is inspired by Buddhism, as well as the surrounding natural landscape, water and a mythical sea creature from local Krabi legends. Owned by Asset World Corporation, the five-star hotel houses a 517sq m rainforest-themed spa offering traditional Thai healing rituals
Anantara to debut in Seychelles following rebrand of luxury Bill Bensley-designed resort
by Megan Whitby | 03 Nov 2020
Anantara will expand into the Seychelles in Q4 2020, following a rebrand of the iconic Maia Luxury Resort & Spa by architects Bill Bensley and Lek Bunnag. Located on Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles islands, Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas will consist of a 30-villa resort complemented with a luxury spa, set amongst 30 acres of forest garden. Located in the resort’s fragranced gardens, the Anantara Spa will be home
World’s first energy-positive hotel and spa to be completed with interiors by Space Copenhagen
by Megan Whitby | 03 Nov 2020
Svart, the world’s first energy-positive hotel, has appointed award-winning Danish designers Space Copenhagen to lead the property’s interior design. Designed by the Norwegian architect firm Snøhetta, Svart will be located in Arctic Norway at the base of the Svartisen glacier and will house an indoor-outdoor spa – designed by spa and wellness consultant Felicity Leahy, as well as four restaurants, an education centre and a design laboratory. The glass-fronted, circular
3XN design Denmark’s first climate-positive hotel with rooftop spa
by Megan Whitby | 29 Oct 2020
In 2021, the Hotel Green Solution House (Hotel GSH), on the Danish island of Bornholm will welcome a brand new wing, built, clad and insulated using wooden materials that will be both CO2 neutral and climate positive. Currently under construction, the groundbreaking 24-key wing will feature a rooftop spa and conference room, and is being designed by the same team that originally built Hotel GSH in 2015 – Danish architecture
BRC Imagination Arts completes new Glenkinchie Distillery brand home for Diageo as part of cycle of Scottish whisky attractions
by Liz Terry | 29 Oct 2020
LA-based experience design studio, BRC Imagination Arts, is the creative force behind the new Glenkinchie Distillery attraction, which has opened today (29 October 2020) near Edinburgh, Scotland. The single malt distillery is located in East Lothian, a region known for its produce and has undergone a major transformation of its visitor attraction as part of a wider £185m investment by owner, Diageo. Glenkinchie will be known as the ‘Lowland Home
First look: Contreras Earl Architecture creates Living Coral Biobank for the Great Barrier Reef Legacy
by Tom Walker | 28 Oct 2020
Designs have been revealed for the world’s first dedicated coral conservation facility, to be located at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. Designed by Australian architects Contreras Earl Architecture, in partnership with Arup and Werner Sobek for the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, The Living Coral Biobank aims to secure the long-term future and biodiversity of corals worldwide. The 6,830sq m multi-function centre will have exhibition areas,
Heatherwick Studio reveals plans for 'The Cove' on San Francisco waterfront
by Tom Walker | 28 Oct 2020
A new waterfront destination in San Francisco, US, would transform the city's South Beach neighbourhood. Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the project – called The Cove – would be developed on the site of three former piers which were destroyed in 1984. The Cove is based around a dramatic five-acre public park and has been designed to provide a new hub of activity for the city. The horseshoe-shaped building includes modular,
Millimetre Design create new spa for Johnstown Estate in Ireland
by Megan Whitby | 20 Oct 2020
Luxury Irish spa resort, The Johnstown Estate, in County Meath, has invested €3.5m (US$4.13m, £3.18m) in creating a new spa nearly twice the size of its previous facility, scheduled to launch early November 2020. The overhaul was conceived by Millimetre Design, the interior design and branding studio which created Johnstown’s Fire & Salt Restaurant, Coach House Brasserie, The Atrium and many of the other spaces at the 167-key Johnstown Estate.
B2Ai and SCAU to design new €100m Club Brugge stadium
by Tom Walker | 07 Oct 2020
Belgian football team Club Brugge has appointed architects B2Ai and SCAU to develop designs for a new €100m stadium. The new stadium, to be located at the heart of a new park in Bruges' Sint-Andries district, will seat 40,000 fans and will be designed to provide a more "intimate experience". Design aspects of the venue include an exterior draped in a see-through, perforated textile covering, while inside modern, open-plan councourses
Legorreta + Legorreta reveal cascading hillside design for Four Seasons Tamarindo
by Megan Whitby | 28 Sep 2020
Four Seasons has announced a collaboration with Mexican real estate development company, Paralelo 19 Desarrollos, to realise a new luxury resort located in Mexico. Debuting in 2021 as Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, México, the project will be located on a private peninsula along the Pacific Ocean and house an organic spa set amongst a tropical backdrop with eight treatment rooms, saunas, steamrooms, and hot and cold plunge pools. The resort
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
cladkit product news
The product has three LED light sources: Dot, Dash and Grid
British designer, Tom Dixon, and Austrian architectural lighting specialists, Prolicht, have collaborated to unveil a new lighting range. Called CODE,
...
The compact plug-in product can be used easily in a commercial spa or domestic setting to disinfect surfaces with UV-C light
For over 30 years, ASPA International has designed and built high-quality spas for the hotel, health and wellness sectors. During
...
cladkit product news
The aluminium fins will form the façade of the upcoming Minories Hotel in Aldgate, London
Metalline, an architectural metalwork specialist based in the UK, has created a range of bespoke 3D twisted metal fins for
...
Rainbow Design worked closely with KSS Architects to ensure the furniture matched the design vision
KSS Architects has partnered with Rainbow Design, a London-based furniture supplier, to create the 1885 Lounge at St Mary's Stadium,
...
cladkit product news
Hospitality veteran and Ritz Carlton co-founder, Horst Schulze, who brings more than 65 years’ experience to the table, has been announced as a keynote
Frontline work has never been more important and frontline workers are the largest class of workers on the planet, as
...
In 2019 GT3 Architects were recognised with the ‘Best Leisure Architecture UK’ award at the International Property Awards
GT3 Architects is a vibrant and creative practice that delivers projects across the UK and internationally from studios in Newcastle
...
