Synesthetic Architecture: Getting to Know the Work of Superlimão

Written by Camilla Ghisleni | Translated by Diogo Simões
Published on January 14, 2022

Unusual materials, vibrant colors and daring compositions are some adjectives that can be applied when talking about Superlimão's work. It all started in 2002 when Antonio Carlos Figueira de Mello, Lula Gouveia, Thiago Rodrigues and former partner Sergio Cabral founded the firm, naming it in honor of the Super Lemon candy – “sour at the beginning and sweet at the end”. Since then, this hint of humor - present even in the name itself - permeates all of the team's creations, hinting at new experiences and arousing curiosity as well as the taste of the candy.

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The diverse background of those responsible for the office leads the multidisciplinary nature of the projects, always understanding architecture and design as contributions to inspiring everyday experiences. For this reason, the sensations stimulated by the projects are an important guideline for architects, being materialized in different textures, colors, smells and unusual configurations.

In its design process, Superlimão combines knowledge, technical capacity and experience in different areas to create bold strategies that reflect in the most varied scales and programs. In this sense, the dialogue between industrial production models and the needs of each client is a key element in the course of the office.

According to the architects themselves, creation takes place through innovative processes, designing spaces that question existing models, overcoming them and expanding their successes. In their projects it is possible to perceive this search for originality with new aesthetic languages guided by technology, bringing together functionality, simplicity, aesthetics and pleasure. The team also says that they see the main challenge of the profession as identifying and predicting behaviors that stimulate the relationship between people and the spaces where they interact.

The São Paulo-based office currently has a team of varied backgrounds that work in residential, commercial and corporate programs. Its innovative solutions, which focus on well-being, emphasize the customization of spaces and give new uses to materials, have made the office gain national and international recognition.

Check out 10 selected works by Superlimão below.