Excerpt: Marquês 650, a housing project by OSPA Arquitetura & Urbanismo, is designed as a deliberate gesture to preserve the past as a catalyst for a renewed urban narrative. Around a historic house, the project composes a dialogue between permanence and transformation. A grounded plinth engages the pedestrian scale, while a recessed tower, elevated on inclined columns, appears to float, balancing continuity, landscape, and the neighborhood’s layered history.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Located in Porto Alegre’s Moinhos de Vento district—an urban fabric marked by tree-lined streets and a layered architectural history—Marquês 650 emerges from a deliberate gesture: preserving the past as a catalyst for a renewed urban narrative. At the heart of the site lies a historic house, around which the new building is carefully composed, fostering a dialogue between permanence and transformation.
The project is organized into two primary volumes: a grounded plinth that engages the pedestrian scale, and a recessed tower that appears to float above the landscape. The base—articulated through a series of faceted wooden masses—frames visual connections to both the surrounding neighborhood and the preserved residence. Above, the tower is elevated on inclined columns, its massing intentionally fragmented to respect the human scale and accentuate the historic structure below. The architectural move is not one of juxtaposition, but of calibrated continuity.
At ground level, thresholds between public and private are softened. The absence of perimeter fencing and the adaptive reuse of the historic house for commercial use activate the streetscape, transforming the sidewalk into a shared civic space. A garden of native species extends the neighborhood’s vegetation into the site, while Portuguese stone paving traces a continuous transition from street to garden to entry—creating a choreographed arrival sequence rooted in the public realm.
A shared amenities level is inserted mid-tower, concentrating programmatic functions such as the lounge, playroom, gym, and a 25-meter lap pool with an infinity edge. This spatial consolidation enhances internal circulation while preserving the tower’s sculptural clarity. At the rooftop, a spa, sauna, and contemplative terraces offer panoramic views and moments of retreat—situating the building within its broader territorial context.
The material palette is restrained and enduring, weaving together architecture, interior design, and landscape into a cohesive sensorial experience. The building comprises 47 residences across 12 floors, with unit sizes ranging from 135 to 330 square meters. Floor plans prioritize the social dimension of living: corner living rooms and floor-to-ceiling glazing establish a seamless relationship between inside and out, amplifying light and spatial perception. At the uppermost level, two exclusive penthouses feature expansive terraces of 66 and 73 square meters—horizontal rooftops conceived for open-sky living.
Certified at the Diamond level by Porto Alegre’s Environmental Sustainability Program, the project adopts strategies that are as spatially intentional as they are technically sound: cross ventilation, generous daylighting, and the rehabilitation of the existing structure shape a framework for longevity and performance. Rather than imposing a new object on the city, Marquês 650 emerges from its context—interpreting and amplifying it through architecture. It is not merely a building, but a site-specific response returned to the neighborhood as an urban gesture.
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