insper, são paulo, 2017 - Metro Arquitetos -

When we visited Insper’s headquarters in São Paulo, we saw how necessary it was to make a cafeteria for the students where they could live in harmony within the institution. An entire floor contained an old dining hall that had a restrict use to mealtimes. At that time, we saw the opportunity to expand the uses of space beyond meals and to make that floor a meeting place and to be throughout the building, without limited hours.

When we removed the ceiling, we brought to the project visible infrastructure, besides the free height of the space became more proportional to the size of the area and the volume of people using it.

The furniture of the entire project was designed to accommodate diverse uses – not just eating – and with this, tables of different heights and dimensions defined more or less privacy along the passages. Between the sets of tables, sofas and armchairs interconnect the spaces in a more relaxed way. All lighting was performed with pendants on the tabletops, thus avoiding diffuse and monotonous light. The light design was therefore designed to highlight the areas where people are most convivial – to eat, find, study or rest.

technical information

Project start: October 2016
Conclusion of the work: July 2017
Address: Rua Quatá, 300
Building area: 1.450m²
Architectural project: Gustavo Cedroni, Martin Corullon, Marina Ioshii, Renata Mori, Amanda Amicis, Rafael de Sousa, Luis Tavares and Marina Pereira.
Partnership: Affari
Structural Design: INNER Engineering and Management
Hydraulic and electrical installations: Power Plant and PKM Engenharia
Kitchen Project: ProjeFood
Lighting Design: Light Design | Fernanda Carvalho
Construction Company: DM Engenharia
Photos: Ilana Bessler