são paulo design weekend 2012

são paulo design weekend 2012 subway initiative image © designboom

designboom traveled to são paulo, brazil, for the city’s first international 2012 design weekend. the event consisted of four days which hosted 160 exhibitions, openings and proposals of work by established and emerging brazilian designers. characterized as the manhattan of south america, the program allowed this vibrant community to present their diverse portfolio of ideas and concepts. while strong themes of history and culture echoed throughout the collections, new views and perspectives materialized to spark a modern development in the current industry standard.

take a look up at our exclusive round up of são paulo design weekend 2012 video © designboommusic courtesy of hb tronix from their album ‘são paulo acoustic jazz house‘

featured in this round-up movie — chairs made from noise by estudio guto requena. see our article here.

garden design by the campana brothers image © designboom

the design weekend featured a campana brothers circuit which highlighted ten of their most diverse projects ranging in scale and material. located around the city, the even featured spaces which have never been shown to the general public, in addition to  new work and classic items. some of the compositions include a garden courtyard with towering palm trees developed for a studio office; a bedding collection which was a collaboration with brazilian company trousseau; and the interior of a cafe located in theatro municipal.

image © designboom

favela chairs by the campana brothers image © designboom

theatro municipal image © designboom

cafe design by the campana brothers image © designboom

located in the theatro municipal in the center of são paulo, the interior of this cafe takes its design influence from the existing ceiling fresco. the gold crown and trim are mimicked in the custom furniture with its brushed bronze finish. the table tops are complemented with reflective surfaces to allow the visitors a perfect view of the upper painting from their seats. the bar features an undulating wood veneer which is paired with an over sized mirror made up of a variety of sizes showcasing a fragmented perspective of the restaurant. the concept brings together the contemporary and historical styles into a single vision.

detail of the custom furnishings with reflective mirror top image © designboom

collaboration in bedding by trousseau and the campana brothers image © designboom

brazilian lifestyle company trousseau teamed up with the brothers to develop a bedding collection which interprets their legacy of traditional coverings into a modern look. the pieces take lace trim and layer them throughout the blankets and pillow cases creating state of comfort and texture. the duo also produced other items which continue on the theme of multiplies using wool scarves as the material.

detail of embroidery work image © designboom

pillow collection by the campana brothers image © designboom

installation exhibiting the process of creating a sofa by estudio manus image © designboom

brazil comes from a strong history of craft and artisan culture and marcus ferreira owner of decameron design wanted to feature this topic with an exhibition developed by estudio manus that showcases his company’s attention to detail, process and composition of pieces. located in the upper level of the shop, the long narrow hallway marks the quality of a craftsman with tiny details outlining the materials, tools and custom characteristics that make up this product.

image © designboom

detail image © designboom

subway initiative image © designboom

but the true essence of the são paulo design weekend might just be found underneath the streets in the subway stations. strategically located at the stops with the most traffic, opportunities for social engagement are positioned, which allow the general public to participate and create their own designs. these individual actions are left to evolve and grow organically over time based solely on the community involvement. this type of open invitation might be the true measure of success for this first time event.

plasticine table full of individual items made by visitors in the subway image © designboom