bloco arquitetos restores milton ramos' concrete 'MR 53 house' in brasília

bloco arquitetos has restored a private residence in brasília, which was originally completed by architect milton ramos in 1974. during his career, ramos collaborated on a number of projects with oscar niemeyer — including the ‘itamaraty palace’ and the ‘cláudio santoro national theater’. since its completion, ‘MR 53 house’ has undergone a number of interventions that damaged the original concept. the reflective pool in the front façade was covered with soil, a fence was placed in the external vestibule (preventing any direct access to the main door), and the original exposed concrete interiors were covered by layers of mortar, plaster, and white paint.

all images by joana frança

the restoration plan by bloco arquitetos involved adapting the property to the needs of its new owner, while recovering elements from the original design. these include establishing a free flow between interior spaces, the uncovering of the exposed concrete walls, and the presence of water. the project also involved restoring the original ipê wooden floor. meanwhile, existing bathrooms were adapted and divided for the creation of suites, while the central restroom was made bigger and the kitchen gained a new access to the dining room.

bloco also designed all the new fixed furniture and lighting, as well as the all-new kitchen and lavatory. all the new furniture was also specified by the architects. see more projects by bloco arquitetos on designboom here, including an elevated property outside of brasília.

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project info:

name: MR 53 house
location: lago sul, brasília, brasil
type: restoration, intervention and interior design
area: 350 sqm / 3,767 sqf
original design: milton ramos
restoration, interventions, and interior design: bloco arquitetos
authors: daniel mangabeira, henrique coutinho, and matheus seco
lead architect: daniel mangabeira
collaborators: tatiana lopes, guilherme mahana
contractor: GRID engenharia
lead engineer: fernando pauro
client: luís gustavo e camila
photography: joana frança