This penthouse apartment originally belonged to the building’s caretaker. It was built in the 1960s and is located in the Santa Cecília neighborhood, São Paulo, right in front of the Minhocão highway.

When we analyzed the structure to demolish some walls, we discovered that what seemed to be a structural concrete ceiling was actually plaster, and above it there was a beautiful roof made of ceramic tiles and timber trusses supported only by the peripheral masonry walls.

We eliminated all the interior walls that split the space into five rooms. The decisive element used to divide the new space is a woodwork volume that separates the living room from the bedroom and the WC.

A ‘Santos Dumont’ stair full of cabinets was carved in this volume to provide access to the mezzanine, where we created, amid the roof trusses, the home office and lounge area.

We also turned the pitched roof of the unit below into a flat roof covered by a deck, creating a balcony. When the renovation was finished, the former 50 m² apartment had 75 m².