Exploring Versatility: Residential Renovations at Oscar Niemeyer's Copan Building in São Paulo

Written by ArchDaily Team | Translated by Diogo Simões
Published on February 19, 2024

The landscape of downtown São Paulo would not be the same without the presence of Copan. The building inserts Niemeyer's curves into São Paulo's dense verticality, creating a distinctive rhythm that becomes a landmark for all who encounter it. Besides accommodating around five thousand residents, the building serves various purposes, offering different typologies for its residential programs, varying apartment sizes, and prioritizing diversity among its tenants. Differences also emerge when we examine how each person inhabits a standard floor plan; renovations proposing distinct finishes and new layouts reflect the character of each resident but also showcase the inventiveness of the architects intervening in this classic structure. Thus, we gather here projects realized within this icon to demonstrate how each home is unique, even when created in series.

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Modifying a standard floor plan requires immense creativity. Achieving the desired characteristics involves multiple tasks, from conceptualizing the furniture to selecting lighting fixtures. Materials, colors, and textures are all pivotal considerations. It entails discerning which elements of the original design are retained and what new elements are introduced. It is an ongoing conversation with the building's original architecture. Innovation becomes even more demanding when dealing with an iconic project like Copan, renowned for features such as the brise and cobogó on its facades.

Therefore, we have selected projects that renovate apartments within Copan, ranging in size from 35 to 175 m². As a bonus, we also showcase an office located on the lower levels of the building, offering a view of its prominent pillars. Explore them all below: