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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ArchDaily Brasil 2025 Building of the Year Award: Meet the 15 Finalists of the Largest Architecture Award in Portuguese-Speaking Countries

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We are pleased to announce the finalist projects for the ArchDaily Brasil 2025 Building of the Year Award. Following two weeks of nominations, the projects that received the most votes were selected from hundreds of works built in Portuguese-speaking countries. Our jury, comprised of thousands of readers, once again played a fundamental role in curating this selection, resulting in a shortlist of 15 remarkable projects.

From today until April 9 at 11:59 PM (GMT-3), you can vote once a day for the finalists—exemplary representations of contemporary Lusophone architecture. The winners will be announced on April 10.

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

Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão

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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 show aims to introduce the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds its population or territorial scale.

In this episode of the fifth season, Sara talks with designer Ana Aragão about her illustrations dedicated to architecture and cities. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão - Image 1 of 4Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão - Image 2 of 4Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão - Image 3 of 4Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão - Image 4 of 4Large Cities as Living Organisms: Interview with Ana Aragão - More Images+ 4

Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa

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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 contemporary Portuguese architecture of reference. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output punches far above its weight relative to its population or territorial scale.

In this episode of the fifth season, Sara talks with architects Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa about the Mountain House in Gerês. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa - Imagen 1 de 4Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa - Imagen 2 de 4Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa - Imagen 3 de 4Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa - Imagen 4 de 4Architecture as Refuge: Interview with Luís Tavares Pereira and Guiomar Rosa - More Images+ 9

"For us, the project is the center of everything": Interview with Branco Del Rio Arquitectos

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Doing more with less is an urgent architectural imperative. This is especially true in our recent global context, where environmental concerns are compounded by economic and social crises in various parts of the world. Within this landscape, the firm Branco Del Rio Arquitectos has been developing its practice since its founding in Coimbra in 2014. Established during a period of instability in Portugal, the office is the result of Paula del Rio and João Branco's pursuit of a simple architecture that seeks to address contemporary demands as objectively as possible.

In less than ten years of activity, the firm has garnered competition awards and international recognition, and was recently selected as one of ArchDaily's Best New Practices of 2023. We had the opportunity to speak with the architects about their experience with architectural rehabilitation, their collective housing projects, and their practice characterized by an economy of means.

"Buildings have to be for people to feel good": Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio

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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 Portugal's leading contemporary architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country regarding this professional field, and its architectural output punches far above its population or territorial scale.

In this episode of the fourth season, Sara talks with Tomás Salgado, from the office Risco, about the Cidade do Futebol, a facility for the Portuguese Football Federation. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

"Buildings have to be for people to feel good": Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio - 1 的图像 4"Buildings have to be for people to feel good": Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio - 2 的图像 4"Buildings have to be for people to feel good": Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio - 3 的图像 4"Buildings have to be for people to feel good": Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio - 4 的图像 4Buildings have to be for people to feel good: Interview with Tomás Salgado of Risco Studio - More Images+ 5

"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 - 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

Excavation in Brazil's most indigenous city reveals a dense occupation dating back over 2,000 years

São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) is considered the most Indigenous city in Brazil, home to 23 peoples belonging to five language families — Eastern Tukano, Arawak, Yanomami, Japurá-Uaupés, and Tupi. There, at two small excavation sites, archaeologists have found evidence proving a dense, continuous, and ancient settlement dating back at least two thousand years. 

The findings challenge the common narrative that characterizes the region by depopulation, isolation, and disconnection from the rest of the Amazon. The area is one of the best-preserved in the Amazon and has been studied since 2019 by Parinã (Intercultural Archaeological Program of the Northwest Amazon), which has just compiled its first reports on the recovered archaeological fragments.

Lessons from Recife's Porto Digital

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There are many reasons why some urban areas deteriorate while others thrive, including economic, planning, social, and cultural factors, as well as sheer chance. Understanding these dynamics—and, more importantly, minimizing the risk of decay while fostering vitality in urban areas—is a recurring theme in urban planning, driven by the shared and legitimate desire to live in beautiful, pleasant, and prosperous environments.

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.

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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.

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