atto design by pininfarina to bring sculptural residential architecture to rio de janeiro

Architecture Shaped by Geography of brazil

In the evolving landscape of Brazil‘s Barra de Tijuca district of Rio de Janeiro, Atto Design by Pininfarina introduces a distinctive architectural language shaped by movement, form, and atmosphere. The project is the Italian design house’s first architectural contribution to the city, envisioned in partnership with Origem Incorporadora. With only twenty residences, Atto presents itself as a crafted response to place rather than a grand gesture of scale.

The contours of the building reflect the coastal rhythm of Rio, recalling the sinuous lines of Ipanema’s shore and the layered rise of Sugarloaf Mountain. Rather than imposing on the land, Atto seems to follow it, its stepped profile echoing the surrounding hills. The design does not mimic, but listens. It responds to the natural cadence of the landscape and the city’s shifting tempo.

images © Pininfarina

atto design by pininfarina lives with the landscape

In Atto Design’s architectural detailing, the designers at Pininfarina draws upon Brazil’s design heritage with a deliberate quietude. Textures recall the mosaics of Copacabana’s promenade while the layout of terraces speaks in the layered visual grammar of Burle Marx’s gardens. These references are held gently, folded into a design that is contemporary but grounded in cultural memory.

Greenery is integral to the structure, climbing and cascading across the façade in a choreography of shade, privacy, and oxygen. This vegetated skin softens the lines of the building and aligns it with the tropical setting. The approach reflects a desire to entwine architecture with climate and place, encouraging each residence to breathe with the forested hills that surround it.

Each residence within Atto is designed with large open volumes and uninterrupted sightlines toward the Atlantic. Floorplans, which range from 450 to 1100 square meters, prioritize daylight and cross-ventilation, allowing the movement of sun and breeze to shape the lived experience. In this way, the architecture becomes less about containment and more about openness.

Atto Design by Pininfarina introduces a sculptural residential project in Barra de Tijuca

Space, Light, and Air as Materials

Atto Design by Pininfarina rises within Barra de Tijuca, an area marked by wide boulevards, dense vegetation, and new urban growth. The district is becoming a focal point of architectural ambition in Rio, drawing projects that value space and nature in equal measure. Within this context, the design stands out for its restraint and its commitment to a softer kind of monumentality.

Samuele Sordi, Chief Architect Officer at Pininfarina, describes Rio as a city of contrasts, where tension between nature and urban intensity creates a unique spatial and emotional energy. Atto was designed to echo that dynamic — quiet in form but expansive in feeling. The result is an architecture that speaks to intuition as much as it does to logic.

For Origem Incorporadora, the project represents an opportunity to align with a design partner whose roots in innovation extend beyond architecture. As CEO Henrique Blecher notes, the intention was never to pursue signature alone, but to engage with a design philosophy capable of transforming the idea of home into an artistic encounter. The result is a building shaped by sensitivity and scale, where meaning is built into the smallest detail.

the architecture responds to Rio’s coastline and mountainous terrain through fluid, stepped forms

the building incorporates textures and visual language inspired by Brazilian design traditions

lush vegetation is integrated into the facade to create a vertical garden effect

natural elements shape the living experience through cross ventilation and open sightlines

project info:

name: Atto Design by Pininfarina

architect: Pininfarina | @pininfarina_official

location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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