Relicário Apartment

Relicário Apartment was designed as the new home for a couple returning to Brazil after decades living abroad. The project's main challenge was to expand the social areas while reflecting not only the residents’ welcoming lifestyle but also the couple’s strong personality. Throughout the design process, their collection of Brazilian and Latin American folk art played a central role, becoming a defining element in the aesthetic composition of the spaces.

Located in one of Brasília’s first superquadras, the 1960s building is distinguished by its 3.5-meter structural module, which accommodates a variety of two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments within a single block. The original layout of this four-bedroom unit already featured a generous double-module living room measuring seven meters in length. During the renovation, this space was expanded by incorporating a dining room module and an additional bedroom module, resulting in a continuous 14-meter-long social area.

Rhythmically defined by the original structural grid, this expansive room accommodates two living areas, a dining room, and a TV lounge in sequence, creating a generous setting for gathering family and friends. The kitchen can be integrated into the social area through sliding steel-framed doors with wired glass, further enhancing the flexibility of the space.

The building’s original structure was revealed during demolition, allowing the exposed concrete to become part of the apartment’s material palette. This structure was complemented with solid brick elements that create support surfaces throughout the living areas for furniture and the residents’ art collection. A custom shelving unit was also designed following the same rhythm and modulation as the building’s façade, providing a backdrop for colorful works from Central and South America.

Complementing the art collection, the apartment’s bathrooms feature a vibrant palette of orange, green, and red, combined with ceramic mosaic flooring. The interplay of color, wall textures, and carefully selected objects brings depth to the interiors, expressing the residents’ unique and authentic identity.