A Brazil office makes the most of its tropical location
We tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will

Set in São Paulo's Alameda Gabriel Monteiro da Silva road, this Brazil office is an oasis of greenery, raised above ground and wrapped in glass. Designed by architecture studio Perkins & Will for Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate, the building stands out for its lightness and slim, sophisticated character.
Take a tour of this new Brazil office engulfed in greenery
The office building includes two levels above a permeable ground floor, which fluidly connects the open-plan interior with the planted garden exterior. The two upper floors contain workspaces, flooded with natural light through the large glazed sides, yet protected from overheating by a smart louvre system; this not only helps control the internal temperature and glare, but also becomes an important feature for the façade's identity, the Corten steel brise-soleils bring a rhythm to the exterior skin.
Inside, large, flexible, open-plan areas ensure users get uninterrupted views to the outside when they work. The plot, richly planted in leafy species, filters the city's noise and visual busyness, making the experience of working indoors a serene one.
Alongside the defining Corten steel of the brise-soleils, the material palette is completed by the glass and concrete of the main structure, and the soft stone walls that delineate the perimeter of the site, nodding to the local environment.
'Developing a corporate [space] in such an iconic location is a tremendous opportunity to give new meaning and purpose to a corner lot. Our proposal is to integrate the Jardins neighbourhood into the building, as if the development had always existed,' says Douglas Tolaine, creative leader and design director at Perkins & Will São Paulo. 'We seek to combine the comfort, scale and identity of the surrounding homes with a unique design that values nature in an exuberant and singular symbiosis, meeting the needs of a society in constant evolution.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
This monumental Valentino book is a true Italian fashion epic
Spanning oral testimony, sketches and magazine spreads, ‘Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic’ (published by Taschen) charts the career of Valentino Garavani, whose mononymous Roman house would define a vision of Italian glamour
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never before
The Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreams
At Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
Beige is best at this São Paulo apartment by Arthur Casas
With this quietly elegant São Paulo apartment, Studio Arthur Casas celebrates the power of subtle, neutral shades to create warmth and timeless appeal
-
Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architecture
A sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gems
Architecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
Inspired by 1970s Brazilian brutalism, Arches House is rich in colour and expression
Akitito Arquitetura blends Brazilian brutalism with fresh colours, bringing warmth and energy into a renovated family home in São Paulo
-
A Brazilian house is a soothing oasis inspired by the black sands of Iceland
Turmalina, a Brazilian house by architect Tulio Xenofonte, blends contemporary architecture with the cleansing energy of black tourmaline, creating a secluded retreat
-
The new MASP expansion in São Paulo goes tall
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) expands with a project named after Pietro Maria Bardi (the institution's first director), designed by Metro Architects
-
An Upstate Sao Paulo house embraces calm and the surrounding rolling hills
BGM House, an Upstate Sao Paulo house by Jacobsen Arquitetura, is a low, balanced affair making the most of its rural setting
-
Step inside the secret sanctuary of Rua Polonia House in São Paulo
Rua Polonia House by Gabriel Kogan and Guilherme Pianca together with Clara Werneck is an urban sanctuary in the bustling Brazilian metropolis