Casa Modernista, Modernist residence in Pacaembu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Casa Modernista is a two-story residence in Pacaembu with straight lines, prismatic volumes, and large windows that bring natural light through functional spaces. The house displays a clearly structured layout with open floor plans and a distinct separation between public and private areas.
The residence was completed in 1930 by architect Gregori Warchavchik and introduced modern architectural principles to Brazilian residential construction. It later gained significant recognition through IPHAN protection status in 1986, followed by municipal and state certifications in 1991 and 1994.
The house became known through the 1930 exhibition "Exposição de uma casa modernista", open for 21 days in 1930, which drew around 20,000 visitors. Works by Tarsila do Amaral and Victor Brecheret hung on its walls, and Mário de Andrade, Oswald de Andrade and Lasar Segall passed through. After the show it returned to use as a private residence.
The house stands at Rua Itápolis 71, on a 499 m² lot in Pacaembu, with 14 m of street frontage. It is a private residence, not open for interior visits, so the preserved rooms cannot be toured; the modernist volume is seen from the street. The 2010 restoration was presented in a temporary exhibition at the house itself.
The floor plan eliminates corridors and keeps rooms open to each other, which was revolutionary for 1930s Brazilian residential design. These continuously flowing spaces allowed a completely different way of living compared to traditional houses of that time.
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