MNMA studio celebrates authentic materials and craft with dois trópicos in brazil

MNMA studio presents its newly completed commercial space entitled ‘dois trópicos’ as a curated collection of celebrated materials in brazil. the design team introduces the retail and restaurant in the urban context of são paulo as a nostalgic space to recall a sense of home. elements of the project are crafted by artisan hands which seek to achieve not perfection but ‘real’ or authentic environments. 

images by andré klotz | @andreklotz

MNMA studio fronts its ‘dois trópicos’ with a transformative, translucent façade which opens widely in welcome. defining the face of the project, this ‘front door’ element is influenced by the words of author akiko busch: ‘the front door continues to appeal to our sense arrival. call it the ceremony of coming home.’ together with this welcoming, familiar atmosphere the design team makes use of a natural material palette and artisan craft to offer the visitor a sense of contact with the earth, while recalling lost and ancient forms of construction.

the interior of ‘dois trópicos’ is designed by MNMA studio with walls that act as canvases for the expressive shifting of natural light throughout the day. a sculptural stair is crafted with materials made through a process of cooking the subtle varied colors of earth into bricks. this stair celebrates the precision of technical drawings together with the authentic exercise of craftsmanship. the same material is projected onto walls and ceilings. the team comments: ‘it expands our senses, bringing texture, tone gradation and detail to the delicate gesture of drawing spaces, even inviting us for a pause to feel the smell of wet earth when it rains.’