Almenat Hilton Hotel, São Paulo, Brazil, Contemporary SP commercial development, Brazilian interior architecture images

Almenat Hilton Hotel in São Paulo

27 August 2024

Architecture and Interiors: BLOCO Arquitetos

Location: São Paulo, Brazil

Photos: manuel sa

Almenat Hilton Hotel, Brazil

Common Areas of Almenat Hilton Hotel Receive Renovation Project by BLOCO Arquitetos

For the interior design project of the Almenat Hilton Hotel in Embu das Artes, São Paulo – Brazil, the Brasília-based firm BLOCO Arquitetos, led by partners Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, and Matheus Seco, redesigned most of the hotel’s common areas through targeted interventions, creating a completely distinct space from the previous design.

The renovation covered the lounges, restaurants, bowling alley, and game rooms, with the goal of adapting the spaces to the hotel’s new demands, which also sought a functional update.

The biggest challenge faced by the team was carrying out the renovation while the hotel remained operational. Therefore, the entire project was developed from the outset with a focus on rapid execution, adapting it to the needs of both Hilton and Almenat, in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and budget.

The original design of this entire area was built with exposed concrete and had large open spaces with white-painted gypsum ceilings. The architects decided to maintain the original perimeter walls, using different color combinations to identify each of the three floors of the common areas, creating a contrast between the spaces that underwent intervention and the remaining areas. In this way, the application of colors also serves as a visual orientation strategy within such an extensive area.

In some sections of the ceiling, perforated metal grid panels were used, adapting to the original geometry of the space. This same ceiling “module” was used in the design of the steel grates for the bar and restaurant shelves.

For the layout design, BLOCO Arquitetos worked in collaboration with Hilton’s architects and the internal team at Almenat. Taking advantage of the irregular floor plans, it was possible to sectorize some of the functions through the use of furniture. This irregularity is organically reflected in the rugs designed by BLOCO, which help visually organize the space.

Additionally, much of the existing furniture in the hotel was reused, most of it made of wood in natural tones. Among the new pieces, Bernardo sofas from Atelier Gustavo Bittencourt were used, along with granilite side tables by Mezas, placed on Punto e Filo rugs that were specially designed by the architects for the project.

In the bar, designed by BLOCO, Clip stools with fabric and structure in Nude color by Fernando Jaeger Atelier were included. In the restaurant, Copa chairs with and without arms, featuring leather seats in Camel, Amazon, and Dune colors, also from Fernando Jaeger Atelier, were installed.

The lighting in the common areas, mainly done with multifocus fixtures, helped create a “scenic” light, designed to be almost imperceptible, embedded in the metal grid ceiling. Bossa pendants from Lumini were also used, placed above the bar tables and pool tables in the lounge.
Despite the hotel being part of the international Hilton chain, the BLOCO Arquitetos team highlights the complete freedom they had to propose something that would adapt to Brazilian culture and local demands, encouraging a design that sought to “break” the standard of the hotel chain while respecting the existing architecture.

Almenat Hilton Hotel in São Paulo, Brazil – Building Information

Architecture and Interiors: BLOCO Arquitetos – https://www.bloco.arq.br/
Project: Almenat Hilton Hotel
Architecture and Interiors: BLOCO Arquitetos – Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, and Matheus Seco
Coordination: Bárbara Neumann and Caio Nascimento
Location: Embu das Artes, São Paulo – Brazil
Area: 900 sqm
Year: 2023-2024
Photos: Manuel Sá

About BLOCO Arquitetos:
BLOCO Arquitetos was founded in Brasília by Daniel Mangabeira (UnB, 1999), Henrique Coutinho (UnB, 1997), and Matheus Seco (UnB, 1999). The three lead a team of architects with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and interests. Most of the projects are presented through photographs of built works, reflecting the office’s extensive experience in materializing projects of different scales and programs, ranging from houses and buildings to interiors and temporary installations. BLOCO’s projects have a direct relationship with specific conditions that can range from the topography and solar orientation of a site to the available budget and labor. The limits imposed by each program are seen as opportunities for creation. Above all, the office considers that each project can be a powerful tool for transforming its context.

The architects of BLOCO manage the Brasília Moderna account, a collection of photos and descriptions of buildings constructed between the 1960s and 1980s, designed by the first generation of professionals who worked in the city. The initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and maintaining this important heritage. These works are a source of learning and inspiration for our work.

BLOCO Arquitetos is also one of the founding members of Atelier Piloto. The collective’s intention is to promote interaction between students, professionals, and schools through the organization of lectures and project workshops that foster collaborative work with a common goal: to reflect on architecture and think about the city.