Romullo Baratto

Romullo Baratto is an architect with a PhD from FAUUSP and Managing Editor of ArchDaily. He previously coordinated the editorial team of the 11th São Paulo Architecture Biennial and served as Managing Editor of ArchDaily Brasil, where he led the platform to win the FNA Award—the first time the honor was granted to a media outlet. He collaborated on the editing of the book "Concrete Jungle", published by gestalten, and has curated architecture exhibitions in Brazil, Chile, Denmark, and Italy, as well as delivered lectures and moderated debates in Spain, the United States, and Portugal. His doctoral thesis investigates the urban landscapes of São Paulo through cinema. His work spans academic research and editorial practice, communicating architecture through texts, interviews, lectures, curatorship, and photography. Follow him on Instagram @romullobf.

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Carrilho da Graça's Archive to Be Incorporated by Casa da Arquitectura

The archive of more than 40 years of professional activity by architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça will be integrated into Casa da Arquitectura, reinforcing the national scope of the institution's collection. The signing ceremony will take place this Saturday, February 15, at 3:30 p.m., at the CA Archive premises.

Registration open for the 7th Saint-Gobain Architecture Award – Sustainable Habitat

Registration is now open for the 7th edition of the Saint-Gobain Architecture Award – Sustainable Habitat. Professionals and students may submit their architectural projects until November 11 via the website www.premiosaintgobain.com.br

Glass Skin: Film Revisits the History of a Modernist Building That Collapsed in a Fire

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"Drinking Caracu is drinking health." This is what read on the massive blank wall of a building in downtown São Paulo on the morning of May 1, 2018. Hidden for decades, the advertisement for the famous beer brand now loomed before a massive heap of concrete, twisted metal, and shattered glass. This was the rubble to which the iconic Wilton Paes de Almeida Building had been reduced—a modernist landmark designed by architect Roger Zmekhol and the subject of the documentary Skin of Glass, directed by his daughter, Denise Zmekhol.

The film transcends traditional architectural documentation by blending a personal narrative with the political complexities of contemporary Brazil, a country shaped by deep inequalities and erased memories. At the heart of the story is the building itself, considered a landmark of Brazilian modern architecture, which collapsed in 2018 after a tragic fire.

Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind landmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly intriguing country in this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its small population and territorial scale might suggest.

In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architect Fernando Coelho of the firm FCC Arquitectura about the Monverde Rural Hotel project, located in Quinta da Lixa. Listen to the conversation and read an excerpt of the interview below.

Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho - Imagen 1 de 4Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho - Imagen 2 de 4Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho - Imagen 3 de 4Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho - Imagen 4 de 4Tourism-Oriented Rehabilitation: Interview with Fernando Coelho - More Images+ 8

"How do we think about the city from the design of a building?": Interview with Patrícia Barbas

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind landmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country in this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.

In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architect Patrício Barbas, from the firm Barbas Lopes Arquitectos, about the FPM 41 project. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

"How do we think about the city from the design of a building?": Interview with Patrícia Barbas - 1 的图像 4"How do we think about the city from the design of a building?": Interview with Patrícia Barbas - 2 的图像 4"How do we think about the city from the design of a building?": Interview with Patrícia Barbas - 3 的图像 4"How do we think about the city from the design of a building?": Interview with Patrícia Barbas - 4 的图像 4How do we think about the city from the design of a building?: Interview with Patrícia Barbas - More Images+ 15

"The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life": Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country in this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds its population or territorial scale.

In the first episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with Manuel Aires Mateus of the firm Aires Mateus about the House in Monsaraz. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

"The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life": Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus - Image 1 of 4"The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life": Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus - Image 2 of 4"The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life": Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus - Image 3 of 4"The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life": Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus - Image 4 of 4The architect doesn't think about the place, the architect thinks about life: Interview with Manuel Aires Mateus - More Images+ 2

Tourism Architecture and Its Relationship with the Landscape: Interview with Site Specific Arquitectura

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to get to know the professionals, projects, and stories behind benchmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly intriguing country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.

In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architects Patrícia Marques and Paulo Costa of Site Specific Arquitectura, about the project Casa de São Lourenço – Burel Panorama Hotel. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

Tourism Architecture and Its Relationship with the Landscape: Interview with Site Specific Arquitectura - More Images+ 11

The Flying Photographer: A Documentary on Fernando Guerra

Fernando Guerra, one of the most prolific photographers in the field of architecture, is set to be the subject of a documentary directed by Sara Nunes and produced by Portugal's Building Pictures. The Flying Photographer, the film's working title, is drawn from a dedication by Álvaro Siza, an architect whose works and life Guerra has been extensively documenting.

Listed 22-story building collapses after fire in downtown São Paulo

A massive fire caused the collapse of a 22-story skyscraper in downtown São Paulo overnight. Located at the intersection of Avenida Rio Branco and Largo Paissandu, near Vale do Anhangabaú, the building previously served as the headquarters of the Federal Police and was occupied by about 90 families from a housing movement.

According to residents, the fire started around 1:30 a.m. following an explosion on the fifth floor and quickly spread throughout the structure, also affecting neighboring buildings, such as the Martin Luther Church located on the square and another high-rise facing the collapsed structure.

Paulistana Architecture #58: Congonhas Airport Pedestrian Bridge / Estúdio Artigas + H2C Arquitetura

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The open course Arquitetura Paulistana, organized by Marco Artigas, took students to visit the Congonhas Airport Pedestrian Bridge project, designed by Estúdio Artigas in partnership with the firm H2C Arquitetura. Begun in 2014, the project took four years to complete and featured the participation of Nitsche Arquitetos, who were responsible for the project's visual communication.

Paulistana Architecture #58: Congonhas Airport Pedestrian Bridge / Estúdio Artigas + H2C Arquitetura - Image 3 of 4

São Paulo Architecture #59: Paranoid Production Company / Sub Estúdio

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For the 59th meeting of the free course Arquitetura Paulistana, taught by architect Marco Artigas, students visited the headquarters of the production company Paranoid, designed by the firm Sub Estúdio in a warehouse in the industrial neighborhood of Vila Leopoldina, São Paulo.

The property was divided into two parts: an enclosed section with a mezzanine and a staircase connecting the two levels, and a completely open, double-height space with the feel of an outdoor area, albeit covered under the same warehouse structure. A white wall separated these two spaces.

São Paulo Architecture #59: Paranoid Production Company / Sub Estúdio - Image 3 of 4

4 Projects Seeking to Deepen the Discussion on Race in Architecture

Far from over, discussions on race and gender in architecture are only beginning to gain momentum. One of their outcomes is the emergence of projects and initiatives that seek to map and identify Black architects who, despite their numbers and prolific activity, are rarely cited—or published.

Still rare and absolutely necessary, these initiatives represent an important step toward fairer, more egalitarian recognition in the field of architecture. Below, we present four investigative projects that aim to identify and shed light on these professionals and their work. 

Scale model of Vladimir Tatlin's Monument to the Third International is built for the first time in Brazil

The exhibition Vkhutemas: The Future in Construction 1918-2018, currently on view at Sesc Pompeia and curated by Neide Jallageas and Celso Lima, introduces the public to the Soviet pedagogical experience of Vkhutemas — the Moscow School of Arts and Techniques, founded in 1920. Despite its brief existence, closing in 1930, the school's teaching and production methodologies exerted a profound influence on the 20th-century global art scene.

Brasília [1963]: Video shows the capital three years after its inauguration

Inaugurated in 1960, Brasília is perhaps the city in the world that most closely followed the principles and guidelines of modern architecture and urban planning in its design and construction. A synthesis of the vision of some of the most respected figures in the history of Brazilian architecture, its layout and buildings drew the world's attention to the nation's economic growth and Brazil's expansion into its own interior.

"Brasília is the dream come true of architects and urban planners. It is the only city in the world built where there was nothing but the cerrado, in central Brazil, and where the builders had complete freedom to apply the principles of the most modern urban planning without restrictions." 

Walls of Air: Curators Present the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale

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Walls of Air is the theme guiding Brazil's participation at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. Jointly curated by Laura González Fierro, Sol Camacho, Gabriel Kozlowski, and Marcelo Maia Rosa, the Brazilian Pavilion features 17 projects from different regions of the country, selected through an open call, as well as a series of large-scale cartographic drawings addressing various aspects of the country's urbanization through the lens of architecture.

"Banespão" Reopens with Public Attractions in Downtown São Paulo

Closed for more than two years for renovations, the Altino Arantes Building, affectionately nicknamed Banespão by locals, will reopen to the public tomorrow in celebration of São Paulo's 464th anniversary. Built in 1947 to house the headquarters of the State Bank of São Paulo (Banespa), the 161-meter-tall skyscraper offered visitors access to its observation deck with panoramic views of the city.

Now, the downtown icon will feature a series of attractions including a museum on the building's history, art exhibitions, a skate park, and a loft available for rent on Airbnb.

The Best of Architecture in 2018

As the end of the year approaches, we would like to thank our readers and contributors once again for making 2018 such a rich year for architecture. With your continued support, we are reaching more architects, students, and those outside the architectural community worldwide, inspiring them to build a better environment for everyone.

Bjarke Ingels: "Gentrification is not only negative, it is also the engine for the redefinition of the urban"

In an interview with El País, Bjarke Ingels discusses with architecture journalist Anatxu Zabalbeascoa the motivations behind his work and the factors that have made him one of the most prominent figures in global architecture.

Moving between the formal concepts that give his buildings their names—such as "snowflake" or "labyrinth"—and the competitive nature of the architecture world (his proposal replaced Norman Foster's for Two World Trade Center in New York), Zabalbeascoa questions Ingels more sharply than might be expected, at one point asking if "architecture can turn into a joke."