Suite Vollard, Rotating residential building in Curitiba, Brazil
Suite Vollard is a residential complex in Curitiba featuring floors that can rotate independently. The building displays a striking exterior of double-layered glass in silver, gold, and blue tones that create a dynamic visual effect.
Construction took about ten years and the building was inaugurated on 16 December 2004, not 2001. Architect Bruno di Franco designed it and Moro Construções Civis LTDA built it on Rua Elvira Harkot Ramina in Mossunguê. Civil and labour lawsuits against the constructor led to the building being seized, and a court dispute over its auction left it unused; by 2012 it stood abandoned.
The building is named after the Vollard Suite, a set of 100 etchings Pablo Picasso made between 1930 and 1937 for art dealer Ambroise Vollard. The suite was on display when the building was inaugurated, and the name ties the residential tower to that print series rather than to any local tradition.
The building stands at Rua Elvira Harkot Ramina 177 in the Mossunguê neighbourhood, in Curitiba's Ecoville district. It has been abandoned since around 2012 and is not open for visits, so the rotating floors can only be seen from the street. The 11 lofts of 120 m² each turn on a 90 m² metal platform resting on the slab below.
Eleven of the main floors can complete a full 360-degree rotation in one hour, allowing residents to experience changing views throughout their day. This rotating mechanism is a technical feature that sets the building apart from typical residential projects.
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