Art-chitecture: Marcio Kogan, the Brasilian architect who wanted to be a filmmaker
“We have to have dreams, even if they never come true” Oscar Niemeyer
The web pages devoted to the projects signed by Studio MK27, headed by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, are full of memorable movies gifs. Wonder why? Marcio Kogan, before deciding to consecrate his career to archicture, was also a filmmaker.
Born in São Paulo in 1952, as a child he followed his father, a Modernist engineer, around construction sites. At sixteen he saw the film that changed his life, "The Silence" by Ingmar Bergman. He became passionate about movies and produced 13 short films, but at the same time he attended the School of Architecture of the Presbyterian Mackenzie University in São Paulo.
He was 36 years old and headed an architectural studio when he decided to invest all his savings in his first feature film, dedicating a year and a half of his life to the project. The result was a disaster, an absolute economic failure. Since then, Marcio Kogan has been focusing exclusively on architecture.
"Architecture must move you!" Marcio Kogan
However, Kogan is always inspired by movies. While planning and designing, he imagines the "character" that will live in the building. Plus, the proportions of his buildins follow those of cinema's wide screen vision; then there's the importance of lighting and the desire of creating emotions.
São Paulo-based Studio MK27 is a veritable “troupe” of 20 architects. Their projects manage to combine contemporary design with South American Modernist tradition. Marcio Kogan has often cited among his influences Mies Van Der Rohe, particularly his Barcelona Pavilion, "simple but incredibly complex," alongside Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi. Studio MK27’s projects stand out for pure yet expressive volumes, rich materiality and harmonious relationship with nature.
“More important than architecture is to be tuned into the world” Marcio Kogan, quoting Oscar Niemeyer
In Marcio Kogan's projects, interiors and landscape are in perfect harmony.
TOBLERONE HOUSE, 2011In one of the most famous villas signed by Studio MK27, Toblerone House, a dwelling in São Paulo completed in 2011, the living room a series of large sliding glass doors are what separates the living room from the garden. The idea of a house on pilotis is a hommage to the famous Dom-Ino corbusian system.
JUNGLE HOUSE, 2015
Designed by Marcio Kogan with Samanta Cafardo, Jungle House is made of concrete and wood, located on the paulista shore in the region of the Rain Forest and boasts a swimming pool on the roof.
"The idea," says Samanta Cafardo, "he was to enter the house in the landscape in the least invasive way possible, while maintaining a connection with the surrounding vegetation and allowing a view of the sea".
CATUÇABA HOUSE, 2016
Signed by Marcio Kogan and Lair Reis of Studio MK27, Catuçaba House was built at an altitude of 1,500 meters, on pillars, without directly touching the ground, responds well to the necessity of building on a rugged piece of land. Energy efficient, it is built in FSC certified sustainable wood.
B+B HOUSE, 2014
On the other hand, B+B House is located at the centre of São Paulo. Designed by Studio MK27 and Galeria Arquitetos, it creates the perception of continuity between the inside and the outside with its large sliding doors. It is also characterised by an unsual arrangement, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the “social” areas on the first floor. The reference to modernism is evident in the use of hollowed-out elements in the walls, renowned from the 30’s in Brazil, and the combination of concrete and wood.
SP_PENTHOUSE, 2015
Located on the top floor of a building in São Paulo, the SP_penthouse is a triumph of materials: Wood, corten steel, travertine combined to create a contemporary environment enhanced by international design icons. The bedrooms are on the ground floor, while on the second floor there is the kitchen, a home office, the dining and living room. The last floor houses the library with different reading ambiances and a spa that has a covered pool, a winter garden and a gym.
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