Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Windows
© Manuel Sá

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior PhotographyGentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, ChairGentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior PhotographyGentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, WindowsGentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - More Images+ 16

São Paulo, Brazil
  • Architects: Canoa Arquitetura
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  969 ft²
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Manuel Sá
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Cristiane Rodrigues Pedras Decorativas, Deca, Edymax Marcenaria, Fernando Jaeger, InterLight, Marilena G., RDS Esquadrias, Suvinil, Tramontina
  • Lead Architect: Mario Moura
  • Responsible Architects: Mario Moura e Victor Gurgel
  • Collaborators: Priscilla Wazima
  • Structure: LL Estruturas – Eng. Boris Cabrera
  • Lightining: Anna Turra
  • Landscaping: Oficina2mais Paisagismo – Carolina Leonelli e Gabriela Tamari
  • Execution: J.A Empreiteira
  • Work Management: Canoa Arquitetura
  • Microcment Floor: Rosferr Engenharia
  • City: São Paulo
  • Country: Brazil
More SpecsLess Specs

Text description provided by the architects. In February 2021, A Gentil Carioca gallery decided to expand its exhibition spaces beyond the renamed historical guesthouse situated in the Saara region, in Rio de Janeiro, by taking its artwork to the Paulista capital.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography
© Manuel Sá

For that, the gallery chose a rental estate situated in a pleasant village, occupied by residences and local range businesses, nearby the Consolação Cemetery, in São Paulo, Brazil. The forthright relationship between the ground floor level and the public sidewalk, as well as the unpretentious vitality of the neighborhood suited finely the irreverent and festive tradition of the gallery.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Chair
© Manuel Sá

Handling a rental space, located in an architectural complex which was protected by a Conpresp  preservation ordinance, Canoa Arquitetura faced the challenge of proposing a controlled-cost intervention, aiming especially on the internal areas. Previously, the building had sheltered a communication agency and was characterized by intense segmentation into small scale rooms. They were poorly illuminated because of the inexistence of lateral recesses from neighbors and because of the partial occupation of the central patio, that had given place to a bathroom and a lunch counter. Making things even mor complicated, the building’s construction system was based on structural ceramic brick masonry, which conferred a structural role to most of the room partitions.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Image 19 of 21
Plan - Proposal

The project was addressed through two most important paths. The significant demolition of internal walls, associated with the use of ‘I’ section steel beams, allowed the creation of larger and more flexible exhibition spaces. Avoiding load concentration and the consequent need to execute new foundations, the choice was to preserve strategically positioned wall sections, restricting the opened spams, and transferring the reinforcement steel beam´s loads to the existing walls. These remaining wall sections unfold the executed demolitions by revealing irregular apparent brick sides, instigating visitors to apprehend the building’s structure and history.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Windows
© Manuel Sá

At the same time, the liberation of the patio, restituting its original configuration, was determinant. Besides from improving conditions of natural illumination and ventilation, that operation permits the extension of the exhibition space outwards. The following project solutions reinforce that conception.

Transparent toughened glass doors with a slide and rotate opening system assure visual continuity and allow to fully open the four passages from inside to outside. Such glass panels don´t need aluminum channels and revealed to be economically accessible because of its extensive use for the protection of residential building balconies in São Paulo.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Chair
© Manuel Sá

The terracotta color micro-cement floor resembles the vital matter earth. Its color was carefully chosen to establish continuity with the round rose arenite pebbles embedded on the external patio. The choice for micro-cement was based on execution speed and economy, dispensing the need to demolish pre-existing floors.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Windows
© Manuel Sá

On the northeast boundary, besides the staircase that accesses the upper neighbor, were placed a deposit space and a ceiling-suspended pull-out art rack, made of four sliding panels with 3,00m of length and 2,45m of height. Such equipment significantly increased the capacity of storage and presentation of artwork.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Door
© Manuel Sá

Gallery backup programs such as bathroom, cafeteria, library, and administration resources were placed on a 1,20m wide band, along the estate´s back wall. The reception desk was thought to be a mobile element, shifting positions throughout the gallery depending on each exhibition project.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography
© Manuel Sá
Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Image 20 of 21
Longitudinal section

The lighting project was based on the premise of simplicity: three metal channel longitudinal lines run parallelly and connect themselves through wiring steel pipes, anchored on the ceiling slab. Tubular fluorescent lightbulbs were placed under the metal channels alongside with a few directable reflectors, all of which can easily be repositioned depending on each exhibition project.

On the outside area, landscape design emphasis relies on the plantation of a cupuaçu tree, a native Brazilian plant, well adapted to local insolation conditions.

Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura - Interior Photography, Windows, Stairs
© Manuel Sá

Project gallery

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Project location

Address:São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Gentil Carioca gallery / Canoa Arquitetura" [Galeria A Gentil Carioca / Canoa Arquitetura] 01 Mar 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/997199/gentil-carioca-gallery-canoa-arquitetura> ISSN 0719-8884

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