Casa Olga Baeta, Sao Paulo,Brazil João Vilanova Artigas Students: Christos Georgiou Savvas Demetriou Mikaella Raspa

João Batista Vilanova Artigas João Batista Vilanova Artigas was one of the most important Brazilian modernist architects. Born in Curitiba and much-awarded in his lifetime, Artigas is considered one of the most important names in the architectural history of São Paulo, and the founding figure of the Paulista School. He made about 200 houses for private clients, clearly inspired by the Prairie Houses of Frank Lloyd Wright Starting in the late '40s, Artigas began taking an interest in the free forms of Affonso Eduardo Reidy and Oscar Niemeyer.

Casa Olga Baeta Had been built in 1956-57 for Olga Baeta. In the Baeta House, he calls into question two canons of modernist language in Brazil: the continuous flow between the street and interior space; and the removal, or concealment, of a sloping roof. In this case, there is a radical separation between the house and the urban environment, achieved by placing the garage and a blank wall at the front.

The resulting form resembles that of a house with a traditional roof The resulting form resembles that of a house with a traditional roof. The opacity of the walls stands in contrast to the openness towards the gardens, the visibility of the different levels, and the transparency between the various living areas. Only the bedrooms are closed off and private. The clear intent was to create a refuge, a special universe conceived and articulated according to non-traditional logic.

In 1988, the Baeta house was restored by Angelo Bucci, who rearranged the spatial division of the kitchen, bathroom and servants quarters, the latter having become obsolete. New, nearly full-height windows were inserted in the exposed concrete partitions, offering a solution that, beyond its aesthetic effect of great beauty, ensured a large amount of light and effectively sealed off odours.

Transparency Column Portico Shoring Pillar Renewal Windows