São Paulo
Concrete, and the courage of the interior.
São Paulo is a city you discover from the inside. From the street it can feel endless, grey and almost impenetrable — the famous selva de pedra. But behind those façades are some of the most extraordinary spaces in Brazil: houses, galleries, bars and restaurants that make the city feel completely different once you enter them.
What I notice: brutalist concrete, enormous structures, Lina Bo Bardi, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, buildings that are not afraid of weight or scale. And then the restaurants — São Paulo understands dining as part of the architecture of the city. Food, interiors and people all become part of the same experience.
It is not an immediately beautiful city, and perhaps that is precisely what makes it interesting. You have to look for it.