In Edifício JK, 80 sqm apartment gets brutalist renovation with a Bahian touch traduzido por: OPENROUTER

Taking on the responsibility of intervening in a work by Oscar Niemeyer requires historical respect and contemporary sensitivity. This was exactly the starting point for architect Júnior Piacesi, of Piacesi Arquitetura and part of the CASACOR Minas Gerais lineup, when taking on the complete renovation of this linear apartment of 80 sq m, located in the iconic JK Building, in the Santo Agostinho neighborhood, in Belo Horizonte (MG). Designed in 1951, the complex is one of the greatest symbols of the arrival of modern architecture in the capital of Minas Gerais, even before the founding of Brasília.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

The property was acquired by a couple of anesthesiologists who live in Salvador and were looking for a welcoming, fluid, and well-located retreat in Minas Gerais. As the owners were already long-time clients of the architect, the creation process gained immediate harmony. The main wish? A home almost without barriers, where Brazilian character would harmoniously dialogue with minimalism.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

To achieve the spaciousness desired by the residents, the original floor plan underwent a radical change. One of the bedrooms was completely eliminated to make room for the TV room, which now visually integrates with the social area. The kitchen and service area were also opened up, promoting continuous circulation, better cross ventilation, and abundant natural light. Only the master suite kept its privacy preserved.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

"The renovation removed practically all the internal partitions, keeping only the original structure of the building", reveals the architect.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

The project's aesthetic follows the concept of "warm brutalism". The original concrete beams and pillars of the building were stripped and left exposed, celebrating the constructive identity of the JK Building. This architectural gray contrasts with the contemporary precision of the stainless steel dining countertop embedded in the burnished cement island.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

To warm up the look and bring the Bahian "bossa" requested by the clients, Piacesi opted to preserve the original wooden parquet floor and chose a palette of earthy tones, brown leather upholstery and subtle shades of green.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

Smart solutions and signature joinery appear in several rooms. A "box effect" appears in the powder room, which was transformed into a true chromatic installation, where walls, ceiling and door received the same shade of green. The same approach is repeated in the hallway leading to the bedroom, camouflaging the linen closet and the china cabinet.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

Designed by the firm itself and crafted in travertine marble, the functional indoor table in the living room conceals a built-in cooler for hosting and leisure moments. On the back wall of the kitchen, a tile panel with a modernist geometric pattern revives the emotional memory of the 1950s, lending rhythm and dynamism to the area.

Projeto de Junior Piacesi. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)

The furniture rounds out the narrative by uniting memory and curation: the dining table chairs, the linear pendants and the TV room sofa already belonged to the doctors' sentimental collection and were perfectly integrated into the new setting.

traduzido por: OPENROUTER