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Big Concrete for an Art Gallery/Home

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From Brazil’s Humberto Hermeto Arquitetura comes this very interesting use of vast empty spaces to frame sky views in concrete. Casa JE is a live-work art gallery/home gloriously sited with prominent views  in Nova Lima, Brazil.

Set on two floors, the house gracefully houses a combination of functions in a live-work arrangement. Above, it is a home and below: a very large art gallery, which is both for the pleasure of the art-collector owner, but also serves as a place of business.

(Or the huge art gallery below is merely a tax dodge!)

But anyway, seen as art, it succeeds. Both upstairs and downstairs access the big sky views. The vast business section gallery spaces are centrally located on the ground floor.

In pride of place upstairs is the lavish private living space for the client’s family.

The family space accesses a large pool on the upper living deck, above the art gallery.

Sunsets advance into the vast family spaces upstairs as if crossing land at ground level, rather than across a horizon’s-span of smooth white concrete, above the commercial space downstairs.

Here, the family enjoys the good life, above the family shop.

Although the family space is above the gallery and the business being conducted downstairs, this vast space could not be more relaxing and private.

But art business visitors to the gallery space underneath would assume that the upstairs is gallery-related office space, albeit rather imposing and elaborate. But perhaps that helps the business. The art business can be a pricey one, and appearances matter. If its a tax dodge, it’s one that works!