The Maria Inn is a small and elegant refuge in the center of the traditional neighborhood of Santa Teresa, in Rio de Janeiro. Set on a hillside plot, surrounded by the exuberant Atlantic Rain Forest, the Inn integrates with the surrounding landscape, offering a beautiful view of the mountain.

The entrance is done via a door visually protected from the street – located on the same level – by a rock wall over which the vegetation of the garden grows. The visitors then arrive at a small lounge, from which they will climb 17.60m – by means of a monorail – to the reception floor. The small monorail serves as an elevator and traverses the trajectory on a slight incline, a solution that allowed taking better advantage of the local topography.

The monorail arrives at the first floor, where there is more than just a simple welcome counter; the place is a lively reception and living space, with a lounge with cozy comfortable armchairs, a bar, a large open wooden deck and an 8.60 x 6.00 swimming pool. This floor is the heart of the project, always busy, not only with guests but also with visitors in search of a beautiful view to have their drink with.

The armchairs of this lounge – as well as the rooms – are by modern Brazilian designers such as Sergio Rodrigues and Flávio de Carvalho. Completing the ambiance, lamps provide a soft lighting at dusk, when a grand piano can be used for little presentations.
Concrete – traditional in Brazilian modernist buildings – is used in conjunction with natural materials such as wood and stone, all used here to create a minimalist and pleasant living environment. While the floors of the internal spaces are made of a local stone, the ceiling lining is made of wood which adds to the cozy feeling.

On the second and third floors there are 6 rooms of approximately 60sqm each– including a generous veranda where it is possible to swing on the relaxing cotton hammocks. Composing the façade, swinging doors with Brazilian wooden brise-soleil make it possible for the interior to have permanent ventilation and complete control of the light and shade – something very important to maintain the internal temperature pleasant, even without the intense use of air-conditioning. There is also – in the rooms – armchairs and tables which form small private lounges.

The plan, made of unaligned volumes, is the result of better use of the plot and ends up offering added privacy for the rooms, besides creating an interesting volume for the façade.

The architectural design approach for Maria Inn sought a soft placement on the existing site, without large displacements of soil and, therefore, integrating with the local environment. This design recuperates the DNA of the place, relative to the modern Brazilian architecture – revisited here in a cozy contemporary space – as well as the delicate implementation with the site, close to its original morphology.

Studio MK27

MARIA SANTA TERESA

location > rio de janeiro . rj . brasil
project > march . 2014
built area > 658,51 sqm
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architecture > studio mk27
architect > marcio kogan
co-architects > renata furnaletto . marcio tanaka
communication team > carlos costa . laura guedes . mariana simas

The Maria Inn is a small and elegant refuge in the center of the traditional neighborhood of Santa Teresa, in Rio de Janeiro. Set on a hillside plot, surrounded by the exuberant Atlantic Rain Forest, the Inn integrates with the surrounding landscape, offering a beautiful view of the mountain.

The entrance is done via a door visually protected from the street – located on the same level – by a rock wall over which the vegetation of the garden grows. The visitors then arrive at a small lounge, from which they will climb 17.60m – by means of a monorail – to the reception floor. The small monorail serves as an elevator and traverses the trajectory on a slight incline, a solution that allowed taking better advantage of the local topography.

The monorail arrives at the first floor, where there is more than just a simple welcome counter; the place is a lively reception and living space, with a lounge with cozy comfortable armchairs, a bar, a large open wooden deck and an 8.60 x 6.00 swimming pool. This floor is the heart of the project, always busy, not only with guests but also with visitors in search of a beautiful view to have their drink with.

The armchairs of this lounge – as well as the rooms – are by modern Brazilian designers such as Sergio Rodrigues and Flávio de Carvalho. Completing the ambiance, lamps provide a soft lighting at dusk, when a grand piano can be used for little presentations.
Concrete – traditional in Brazilian modernist buildings – is used in conjunction with natural materials such as wood and stone, all used here to create a minimalist and pleasant living environment. While the floors of the internal spaces are made of a local stone, the ceiling lining is made of wood which adds to the cozy feeling.

On the second and third floors there are 6 rooms of approximately 60sqm each– including a generous veranda where it is possible to swing on the relaxing cotton hammocks. Composing the façade, swinging doors with Brazilian wooden brise-soleil make it possible for the interior to have permanent ventilation and complete control of the light and shade – something very important to maintain the internal temperature pleasant, even without the intense use of air-conditioning. There is also – in the rooms – armchairs and tables which form small private lounges.

The plan, made of unaligned volumes, is the result of better use of the plot and ends up offering added privacy for the rooms, besides creating an interesting volume for the façade.

The architectural design approach for Maria Inn sought a soft placement on the existing site, without large displacements of soil and, therefore, integrating with the local environment. This design recuperates the DNA of the place, relative to the modern Brazilian architecture – revisited here in a cozy contemporary space – as well as the delicate implementation with the site, close to its original morphology.

Studio MK27