What do the yellow "curtains" at the entrance of CASACOR SP mean?

"Everything I do always brings a reference to Lina Bo Bardi," states architect Victoria Braga about the inspiration for the scenography of the São Paulo edition. With a strong conceptual appeal, the intervention establishes the first contact of the visitor with the exhibition and can also be appreciated from a distance by those who are just passing by. "I wanted to open the curtains of CASACOR to Parque da Água Branca and vice-versa," she explains. The idea draws attention for its simplicity by combining an extensive composable structure of scaffolding, each measuring 3 x 0.70 m and 2.50 m in height, with two layers of fabric: the inner, tensioned, and the outer, flowing – hence the comparison to a curtain. Architecture and art lovers will quickly catch the homage to Teatro Oficina, a landmark address in the central region of São Paulo designed by Lina and Edson Elito to host the theater company of the same name, founded in 1958 by playwright and director José Celso Martinez Corrêa. Victoria had already practiced this language when she participated, in 2023, in the Sharjah Architecture Triennial in the United Arab Emirates. For the occasion, she built the installation Time Transition, an 18 m high lookout with the same type of skeleton and positioned in the old Al Jubail Vegetable Market in the city center. The intention was to portray the need for architecture to adapt to impermanence, which generated positive feedback and caught the attention of Livia Pedreira, president of the CASACOR curatorial board. "I consider this scenography a development of the work for the triennial," summarizes Victoria. The structure defines the perimeter of CASACOR along a 400 m length. "We used a modular, flexible, dismountable material that has been useful from the start. First, its function was to enclose the space for the exhibition setup, which, thus, forewent disposable barriers," explains the architect, for whom concern about waste volume is a non-negotiable point. "Scaffolding is the most reused structure in the world. It is rented, meaning it has already been used in various places. And later, it will serve many more projects," she argues.

Mansions in sight

The translucency and transparency of the fabrics reveal the interactive vocation of the scenography. "We would never bring something opaque to hide what is behind. The fabric acts as a filter of CASACOR to the park," she comments. Darlan Firmato, operations director of the event, adds: "The solution responds poetically to the requirement of heritage agencies to maintain the visibility of the mansions. Moreover, as the scaffolding is self-supporting, it does not damage the pavement." The delicacy also sets the tone in the colors chosen for the fabric: yellow mimics the facades, green reflects the surrounding landscape, while silver (in the backs of the buildings) highlights the reflections of the lake. None of these concepts come by chance. Experienced, Victoria understands the responsibility of promoting the transition between public space and the exhibition. "I already knew well the relationship of the visitors with the park. They feel like true guardians," she affirms. That's why the intervention prioritizes lightness, fluidity, and welcome – the essence of any performance. [caption id='attachment_197407' align='alignnone' width='1920'][/caption>