Located amidst the vegetation, almost invisible to those who see it from the street, a jewel of modern Brazilian architecture is hidden in the São Paulo neighborhood of Jardim América. Casa Zalszupin, designed in 1960 by the Polish architect based in Brazil, Jorge Zalszupin, combines traces of local modernism with influences that the architect brought with him from Europe, notably Scandinavian architecture. In a recent photo series, Paul Clemence sought to capture through this house, "the architect's and designer's essence".
The house, completed in 1962, was designed for the architect and his family, who lived there for almost 60 years. In addition to the residential program, it also housed Zalszupin's office – a large space, with a meeting table and drawing board, which seems to have been kept intact since the architect's death in August 2020.
The internal walls have a smooth texture, a little rough, which reduces the harshness of the white and makes the spaces pleasant, suitable for welcoming the life and history of its inhabitants. Rustic ceramic floor, stone wall, rosewood staircase and colored glass in the windows help to compose this space of domestic life that is as modern as it is Brazilian.
Shooting this house was a unique experience. It's not just about documenting the architecture, there's a narrative aspect to photographing it: the house as a window to the architect and designer's essence. — Paul Clemence
In 2020, ETEL, the company responsible for the reissue of Zalszupin's pieces of furniture, transformed the house into a cultural space that seeks to protect the collection and expand the designer's legacy through exhibitions, lectures, classes and research.
