Excerpt: Renata Building, a refurbishment project by Metro Arquitetos, balances modernist heritage with contemporary living. Preserving its iconic cobogó façades, the design introduces recessed balconies and minimalist interiors while transforming the former commercial space into a vibrant residential and cultural hub. This retrofit revitalizes São Paulo’s downtown, seamlessly blending history with modern functionality.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] 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 (Municipal 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 vibrant cultural, gastronomic and residential complex, with uses that include apartments, ranging from 26 to 240 m2, for short to long stays, restaurants, bar, café and event spaces, as well as leisure areas on the middle floor, also accessible to the public. The 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 body of work is marked by a strong residential production, highlighting the Morumbi residence of Maria Luisa and Oscar Americano (1952), which currently houses the Oscar Americano Foundation, and the Jaçatuba (1942) and ABC (1949) buildings, also located in Vila Buarque.
The hollow elements, which define the building’s design identity, 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 intermediate balcony space for residents.
In 2024, the firm received The Monocle Design Awards. The award is a celebration 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 embody 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 space 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 started 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 condominium fees. Renata is the stage of great meetings in São Paulo, bringing back the opportunity to share good moments in the city center.
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