Abstract

CRUZ-PETIT, Bruno  and  PEREZ-DUARTE FERNANDEZ, Alejandro. The Brazilian “varanda gourmet”: Hedonistic architecture and social distinction. Rev. Arquit. [online]. 2017, vol.19, n.1, pp.33-41. ISSN 1657-0308.  https://doi.org/10.14718/revarq.2017.19.1.1012.

Judging from the proliferation, in big Brazilian cities, of apartments that offer the attraction of large and imposing terraces, it is possible to think that the vertical housing project is going through a structural change in relation to the traditional balcony (varanda in Portuguese). This paper proposes an interdisciplinary reading, accomplished thanks to an inter-institutional project of different research departments in Brazil and Mexico, to analyze this "intermediary space", this interface between the exterior and the interior, which reflects values related to contemporary hedonism, outdoor life, and socialization through gastronomy, with underlying and subtle strategies for achieving and exhibiting social status. We present a critical reflection about this device, which has been analyzed through its representation in maps and propagandistic discourses in the Sao Paulo area.

Keywords : Brazilian architecture; hedonistic architecture; balcony; apartment buildings; multifamily buildings; interior space; terrace; multiple housing.

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