- Year: 2011
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Photographs:Fran Parente
Text description provided by the architects. The Baró / Emma Thomas Gallery was the first project of the architects Julia Masagão, Isabel Nassif and Renata Pedrosa in a partnership that led to their office: sub estudio.
The old warehouse that was used to be a parking lot, is located in a neighborhood in São Paulo, that used to be an industrial area, Barra Funda. It’s a peculiar design of laminated wood arches which bear a span of 30 meters. The windows on two sides are also original timber and allow a diffuse light inside the gallery.
The warehouse is in the middle of the block, not on the façade. So the access is given under a residential building. The entire façade on the street, was made of cobogos, on both sides of the building, to maintain a unity of these two volumes.
On these both sides, where the ceiling is lower, are those programs that need more privacy, as the offices, reception, coffee and collections that are not on exhibition.
On this whole area where the ceiling is lower, there’s also the entrance, creating an warmer arrival and a more welcoming environment, until you enter the exhibition hall, with 12 meters high, making the space feel even bigger.
The exhibition area was kept free so the gallery can change for each exhibition, using free walls that can move around the space.
On the back of the warehouse there used to be three volumes, which was transformed in two volumes with an small garden, a video room, bathroom and a small meeting room.
These two volumes are connected with a metal walkway that serves as an observatory, a place where you see the whole gallery from the top.
The garden on the back is used to expose outdoor works, and also a nice place to chill.
