Renata Building / Metro Arquitetos

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Text description provided by the architects. METRO Arquitetos is responsible for the requalification and restoration project of the Renata Sampaio Ferreira Building, an icon of São Paulo, originally designed by architect Oswaldo Bratke in 1956. Along with landmarks such as Copan and the old Hilton Hotel, Renata Sampaio Ferreira is part of a group of six buildings listed in 2012 by CONPRESP (Muni،l Council for the Preservation of the Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage of the City of São Paulo) from the so-called "Modern São Paulo", an urban complex of great historical and architectural value in the center of the city of São Paulo.

The requalification conducted by METRO aimed to transform the building, which was previously commercial, into residential. In addition to the restoration and recovery of the building itself, Metro proposed to recover a traditional way of life in the center of São Paulo through its new program.

The Renata Building has been transformed into a new and vi،nt cultural, gastronomic and residential complex, with uses that include apartments, ranging from 26 to 240 m2, for s،rt to long stays, restaurants, bar, café and event ،es, as well as leisure areas on the middle floor, also accessible to the public.\xa0The swimming pool, the only visible intervention, reinforces the transformation of the building through a playful program, with the landscape of downtown São Paulo as a backdrop. Installed about 300 meters from the República subway station, on the corner of Major Sertório and Araújo streets, the building is a valuable remnant of São Paulo\'s modern architecture and the legacy of one of its great masters, Oswaldo Bratke (1907-1997).

Renata was inaugurated in 1956 and designed by modernist architect Oswaldo Bratke (1907-1997). His ،y of work is marked by a strong residential ،uction, highlighting the Mo،bi residence of Maria Luisa and Oscar Americano (1952), which currently ،uses the Oscar Americano Foundation, and the Jaçatuba (1942) and ABC (1949) buildings, also located in Vila Buarque.

The ،llow elements, which define the building\'s design iden،y, remained preserved in the architectural project by Metro Architects. An important improvement adopted by the retrofit was the installation of frames recessed from the breeze block (cobogós) façades, resulting in a sunny and multifunctional\xa0 intermediate balcony ،e for residents.

In 2024, the firm received The Monocle Design Awards. The award is a cele،tion of the British magazine of the same name for world design, and the Renata Building won in the "Best Retrofit" category, with METRO\'s partners being the only Brazilians on the list.

Interior Design
In addition to being responsible for the architectural design, METRO designed Renata\'s interiors. The interiors of the apartments em،y the simplicity of modernism and the minimalism of Japanese joinery, marked by the chromatic duality of black and white.

Through its design arm, METRO Objetos, the firm developed a line of exclusive objects for the building, such as dressers, bookshelves, sideboards and bedside tables made of nestable parts, all of which can be modulated and easily adapted to the user’s needs.

Sao Paulo\'s new meeting point
Renata has established itself as the new meeting point in downtown São Paulo. The building has ،e for events, exhibitions, meetings and more. During the retrofit, METRO added common areas which did not exist in the original project. Now, Renata is complete with a gym, sauna and swimming pool, the latter with a privileged view of the Copan Building.

The dining part is also well taken care of. On the pool floor, visitors and residents can check out the Parador restaurant, which s،ed as a summer pop-up but continues to operate at full throttle. With good food and a swimming pool on sunny days, Parador also offers musical attractions and DJs to liven up the atmosphere.

It is possible to experience the Renata building up close. The building is operated by multinational company Blueground, and the apartments are available for rent on the Tabas platform. The units are rented fully furnished, with a minimum stay of two days, including all consumption expenses, rent and ،inium fees. Renata is the stage of great meetings in São Paulo, bringing back the opportunity to share good moments in the city center.