Rio de Janeiro, 2021 - Located on the corner ofIgarapavaandSambaíbastreets, in the lower part of Alto Leblon, in Rio de Janeiro(Brazil), theEdifícioIgaraisan architectural projectsignedbyCitéArquitetura,led by the architects andpartners Fernando Costa and CelsoRayol,withlandscapingdeisgnsignedbyEmbyáandinteriorsprojectby Manga RosaArquitetura.
Designed by Cité Arquitetura
Photographed by Studio VIR
ThenameIgaraisinspiredonthe streets that surroundthe building, consolidating a direct relationship with the place's vocation. The project’sconception used the etymology of the word 'Igarapava', aTupiterm meaning "Port of Canoes", and the meaning of "Sambaíba", the name given to a bushy shrub native to the Braziliancerradobiome.
Cité'sproject drew from these meanings of place to recreate the idea of the tree's strength. Creating an image of a root that seeks the soil and atreetopthat seeks the sky, the foundation is rooted and remains intact connected to the earth, like a safe port of arrival, and, in a sort of ascension, the building seeks theatmosphere.
The balconies have retractable glass panels integrated into the rooms, providing more natural light, ventilation, and a feeling of freedom, in addition to a better use of the space. The idea is to integrate the inside with the outside, at the same time allowing residents spatial freedom.
The concept of making roots and ascending to the sky is evidenced by the colors on the facade, which range from earthy, dark tones on the bottom of the building to lighter, softer tones on the top. With this relationship, the bulk of the tree would be the building itself, where a delicate railing element conveys the idea of this enclosure in branches, which shelters and protects like a nest.
The building has a terrace-garden located above the penthouses, which is intended to be a convivial environment, with coastalspeciesand sandbank vegetation. There is also a vegetable garden and an area for contemplation of the surrounding landscape with a privileged view of thesea from the Leblon beach. The view from above speaks to the amazement we feel when we reach the highest branch of a strong and robust tree.
