An Elegant and Mesmerizing Contemporary Duplex in São Paulo, Brazil

HGB Apartment is an elegant contemporary duplex located in São Paulo, Brazil. It was designed by Bernardes Arquitetura, this mesmerizing contemporary home has a staircase appears as a sculptural architectural element in the living room, with a metal sheet railing with white paint.

by Gemma Nov 5, 2022 11 Images

HGB Apartment by Bernardes Arquitetura

In the renovation project for this 770m² duplex apartment in São Paulo, we sought to meet the residents’ desire to have the main rooms integrated, visually permeable and connected.

The large double-height living room is articulated to the spaces arranged at the ends from a set of vertical pivoting brises soleil, which when opened reveal the dining room and home theater on the first floor, master suite and playroom on the second floor, respectively, allowing visual integration control in the daily use of the residence. On the other hand, they protect the spaces from direct sunlight.

In this project, the staircase appears as a sculptural architectural element in the living room, with a metal sheet railing with white paint, which is extended for the circulation of the upper floor, a kind of walkway between the playroom and the couple’s suite.

The material palette was chosen seeking to create a neutral base, so that the furniture and contemporary artworks stand out. The floor of the entire apartment is in stone in large slabs. The main wall of the living room receives wooden rulers on both floors under the same alignment, which in turn mimics the access doors to the other rooms. The brises and guardrail are painted white, helping to reflect natural light throughout the space.

On the minimalist base, a few pieces of furniture specially selected with customers make up the living room, with an emphasis on the Flag Halyard armchair by Danish designer Hans Wegner.

The balcony, which continues to the interior from the leveling of the same floor, also receives a linear bench almost 17 meters in length that can be used as a living, reading and lunch space with the provision of a dining table, while flowerbeds arranged on the rear perimeter bring green to space.