When we visited the Insper headquarters in São Paulo for the commissioning of a new cafeteria, we saw how necessary a communal space for students within the institution was. A whole floor of the building housed a cafeteria with outdated design, and its use was restricted to meal times. At that moment, we saw the opportunity to expand the use of the space beyond meals and transform that floor into a meeting point and gathering place for the entire building, without limited hours. By removing the existing ceiling, the visible infrastructures became part of the project, and the open height of the space became more proportionate to the size of the space and the volume of people using it. The areas designated for students were integrated into a single environment.
The furniture for the entire project was designed to accommodate various uses—not just dining—and thus tables of different heights and dimensions defined greater or lesser privacy along the circulation corridors. Between table sets, sofas and armchairs connect the spaces in a more relaxed manner. All lighting was implemented with pendants over the tabletops, avoiding diffuse and monotonous lighting. Therefore, the lighting design was intended to highlight areas of greater social interaction—whether for eating, meeting, studying, or resting.
Technical Information
Project start: October 2016
Completion: July 2017
Address: Rua Quatá, 300
Built area: 1,450 m²
Architectural design: Gustavo Cedroni, Martin Corullon, Marina Ioshii, Renata Mori, Amanda Amicis, Rafael de Sousa, Luis Tavares, and Marina Pereira
Partnership: Affari
Structural design: INNER Engenharia e Gerenciamento
Hydraulic and electrical installations: Usina and PKM Engenharia
Kitchen design: ProjeFood
Lighting design: Design da Luz | Fernanda Carvalho
Construction company: DM Engenharia
Photos: Ilana Bessler