Matisse Apartment embodies a distinctive way of living: connected, intentional, and attuned to the passage of time, through its architecture and interiors. Located in Moema, a leafy neighborhood in São Paulo, this 360 square meters apartment, built in the 1990s, underwent a complete renovation led by the creative duo Caio D’Alfonso and Rogério Gurgel, from Brazilian studio Gurgel D’Alfonso Arquitetura. The intervention redefines a layout once marked by sharp angles, varying levels, and heavy compartmentalization — translating its complexities into spatial fluidity, natural light, and integrated living.

The project began by reimagining the apartment’s social core. Originally, the apartment had a highly compartmentalized plan, with isolated rooms typical of a more formal 1990s layout. Rather than erasing the apartment’s three levels completely, the design reinterprets them, turning former barriers into fluid transitions. The steps, once rigid and purely functional, become broadened landings with curved contours, marking subtle thresholds between spaces. This gentle gesture unfolds throughout, conceptually articulating different uses and encouraging a more contemporary, integrated life. The same logic applies to the walls: corners once orthogonal have been redrawn into soft arcs. The materiality of the floor, carried also into walls and ceilings, reinforces visual continuity.

As a gesture of welcome, the entrance hall previews the project’s aesthetic. Emerging from the elevator, the space’s formal purity reveals itself gradually. Clad in a monolithic texture that envelopes all surfaces, the hall features a marble bench illuminated from below — inviting a pause, whether to sit, remove shoes, or set down a bag. Above, a circular soffit alludes to a skylight.