Project: “Potiguar Studio” At CASACOR São Paulo
Architecture: Rodra Arquitetura
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Area : 31 m2
Year: 2025
Photo Credits: MCA Estúdio
In his first participation at CASACOR São Paulo, architect Rodra delves into his origins with “Potiguar Studio”, a space imbued with references to his homeland, Rio Grande do Norte. For the 38th edition of the exhibition, themed “Sowing Dreams,” he has conceived a project profoundly inspired by the cultural richness of Brazil’s Northeast — a region celebrated for its stories, colors, textures, and traditions.
Handmade embroidery, artworks, and artisanal elements were incorporated into the space to bring affection, memory, and a sense of brazilian identity. CASACOR São Paulo takes place from May 27 to August 3 at Parque da Água Branca, one of the city’s most famous parks, alongside a historic 1930s building.
In 31 m², the space is designed as a home office that reveals itself through the delicacy of an art gallery, where craftsmanship, creativity, and a keen attention to detail take center stage. Rodra revisits memories of his homeland: seashells collected by the shore, embroideries that tell stories, the sweet taste of memory — all coming together to create a sensitive and original environment where every element pulses with affection, identity, and poetry.
Entering the space, visitors are greeted by a curated selection of furniture, design pieces, and artworks thoughtfully chosen to engage with the project’s concept. A standout is the sofa, featuring hand-embroidered details by artisans from Timbaúba dos Batistas, adorned with shells, oysters, and crabs, giving the piece a unique identity. By highlighting the work of artists and craftsmen, the environment seeks to connect with what makes us unique, creating an exclusive space that reflects the essence of dreaming.
At the heart of the office, the desk and chair reveal the elegance of black and white — a timeless combination that brings personality to space with lightness and precision. Surrounding them, bookshelves embrace the environment, housing classic works and literary rarities. On the floor, the BKV Design rug created by by Kamy Verde subtly weaves together the references, blending an unexpected pattern with a gradient of earthy tones, uniting all elements into a traditional motif.
On the walls, panels filled with artworks create a cozy atmosphere, harmonizing with the marble details by MultiFormas, featured in the baseboards, which become sculptural elements through the application of carved marbles in different shades, as well as in the fireplace and the central table, designed and sculpted in glass with marble legs specifically for the exhibition. The curtains, made from fabrics reminiscent of fishing nets, filter the light softly and reinforce the sensation of being by the sea.
On the walls, works by artists such as Vasarely and Ubi Bava engage in dialogue with the Arazzo tapestry “Portinari – Bumba Meu Boi” by by Kamy, and the painting “O Lago, 1928” by Tarsila do Amaral, composing a visual mosaic that moves between the renowned and the personal, alongside other pieces that enrich the space. The precise curatorship of Dagmar Saboya offers more than an aesthetic ensemble: it ransforms the space into a gallery, where each work holds its place, carrying stories, emotions, and memories.
In the same rhythm, Saulo Szabó’s intervention — ATO Biblioteca-Floresta — occupies the space with bundles of clay suspended by ramie rope, discarded sheets, and goldplated screws. On the ceiling, a Tensoflex installation incorporates hanging vegetation, bringing greenery indoors and expanding the poetic narrative of the environment.
