Italian design studio Pininfarina has completed the mixed-use Vitra skyscraper in Brazil’s Balneário Camboriú that “was conceived as a single, coherent architectural gesture”.
The Vitra tower is located along Avenue Brasil and rises 62 storeys at 682 feet (208 metres), inland from the city’s main skyscraper clusters at Praia Central beach.
Developed by local firm GT Home and designed by Pininfarina, Vitra sits on a wide, wedge-shaped podium topped with an outdoor pool and terrace.
Its tower rises directly through the centre and is composed of a thin volume bordered by a “continuous aluminium frame”, said Pininfarina.
It features a glass facade
“Vitra is Pininfarina’s first mixed-use tower in the city conceived as a single, coherent architectural gesture,” said the studio. “A continuous aluminium frame wraps the building, clearly defining the transition between the public commercial base and the exclusive residential volumes above.”
“This frame gives the tower a strong identity while connecting two sides of an urban block with visual and spatial continuity, positioning Vitra as a new urban catalyst within the city center.”
It follows the completion of the developer-architect team’s Yachthouse skyscraper in the city, which is currently Brazil’s tallest building.
An aluminium frame travels up the building
Besides the frame, the remainder of the tower is clad in a dark-hued glass.
The skyscraper’s podium contains commercial floors, while 100 residential units are located in the tower, with two per floor. A “rooftop sky lounge” is located at the top.
Dark wood clads the interior
The residential lobby interior is largely clad in dark wood, while amenities include a gym, play area, and an enclosed pool house.
“Vitra is the result of a shared vision between Pininfarina and GT Home, built on trust, design excellence, and a long-term commitment to quality,” said Pininfarina of Americas chief architectural officer Samuele Sordi.
“This project reinforces our ongoing dialogue and reflects our ambition to create architecture that leaves a lasting mark on the city and its skyline”.
Brazil’s tallest skyscraper features design informed by “nautical heritage”
Balneário Camboriú is home to an extremely concentrated number of skyscrapers, which has been the result of the city’s unique zoning and efforts of local developers.
The country’s first supertall, which will be the world’s tallest residential skyscraper if completed, is currently in development in the city by FG Empreendimentos and the Senna Brand.
A “beamless” skyscraper is also under construction in the city.
The photography is courtesy of Pinifarnia.