Brazilian architecture firm Estúdio Módulo has unveiled its competition-winning design for the new headquarters of Itaú Cultural in São Paulo. The proposed 11-story building will occupy a site along Paulista Avenue, one of the city’s principal cultural and commercial corridors, with an architectural approach that emphasizes transparency, public engagement, and connections to the surrounding urban environment.
The slender, rectangular building will feature 11 above-ground levels and eight below-grade floors, encompassing approximately 12,275 square meters. Its exterior will be wrapped in a semi-transparent screen of white louvers that filters sunlight while revealing elements of the colorful interior. A prominent terracotta-colored staircase, visible through floor-to-ceiling glazing, references Brazilian folk art and creates a changing visual composition as pedestrians move along the avenue.
The headquarters will accommodate exhibition galleries, educational facilities, studios, performance spaces, and public gathering areas. Eight underground levels will house a performance hub, including an auditorium seating more than 100 people and a theater with a capacity exceeding 400. The vertical organization brings a diverse range of cultural programs together on a relatively compact urban site.
Selected through a competition involving six architectural firms, the project is expected to open in 2031. Located near the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and Centro Cultural FIESP, the new headquarters will contribute to the concentration of cultural institutions along Paulista Avenue while introducing a distinctive architectural presence to the city’s evolving skyline.
Read more at Dezeen.