Carmo Coffees
History, vocation, work and faith.
From its origins in the remote lands of Abyssinia, coffee finds a chosen ground in Brazil.
Arriving here in the mid-eighteenth century, in a short time, it became the main product of the economy. An inseparable part of the character of our people, the trajectory of coffee was a genuinely Brazilian achievement. The search for the ideal growing region extended throughout the country. Minas Gerais, today the main producing region, mixed its gold with its coffee.
If, on the one hand, our history has generated a recognized cultural heritage, on the other hand, small producers have not always been properly valued.
Seeking to transform this reality, Carmo Coffees has worked with the premise that quality comes from respect and care for the entire production chain. A true partnership with coffee producers generates excellence. Transparency and ethics in the process transform the final fruit into a jewel of immense added human value.
This revered philosophy of work deserves a generous home, a place where it is unequivocally demonstrated that, in addition to planting and harvesting, the value of the product is proudly attested here. We want to show the world these farms, this blessed land, these talented and hardworking people.
The most important tool for this is a suitable place; solid, a gesture of amplitude and generosity, to be present and become a symbol. Thus, it arouses the curiosity of common people and encourages what is the most human dimension of the process, the producer.
Located in a strategic area, next to the BR-381 highway, the place calls for a remarkable shape. The speed of visualization took us to the great horizontal; clarity and strength in a unique way. On this base, the object of our reverence is eloquently printed: a hollow, concave, translucent, the color of roasted coffee. Instead of a form attached to the surface, we imagine evidence of something in motion, transported to all corners of the planet.
Hence this recessed form, open at the top like a skylight, entrance of sunlight, and, at night, expression of interior light.
Our intention is to demonstrate the love for the work carried out. Love is zeal, care, interest, knowledge, cooperation, solidarity, companionship. After all, coffee invites you to meet, share, meet, take a break.
The resulting atmosphere is necessarily solemn, because it is perhaps the only time when these qualities will come together to demonstrate the meaning of this attitude of affirmation of the quality of our coffee.
We enter through a perforated plate portal of grain from the harvest. In the foreground, on the ground, the map of the producing region. On the right, coffee is presented as a gem in its various stages of processing. Above that, on the jute-covered wall are the names of the farms, the producers, our heroes. In the background, the sublimated translucent coffee bean is the most symbolic expression of this ritualistic environment.
From there, we go up and walk in the shadow of a museum tunnel: the experience of a journey that tells the story and leads to the large warehouse, seen from above. Just below, in the microlots area, we can pause and admire the coffee processing. The control of light, images and colors throughout the warehouse enhances the atmosphere. On the second floor, the entire administrative area is developed around a large open patio, bringing light and relaxation to the environment.
Our project creates a thought-provoking script, composed of powerful moments, few expressive elements to leave a strong and true impression.
The spirit that guided each gesture was one of originality and quality.
We use true, authentic and direct values, lasting values in constant transformation.
Architecture
Gustavo Penna, Norberto Bambozzi, Laura Penna, Letícia Carneiro, Oded Stahl, Caio Vieira, Alice Leite Flores, Fernanda Tolentino, Henrique Neves, Bárbara Novais, Ada Penna, Larissa Freire, Gabriel de Souza, Larissa Freire, Sávio de Oliveira, Felipe Franco , Mariana Carvalho, Rafaela Rennó, Manoel Belisario, Raquel de Resende, Eduardo Magalhäes, Julia Lins.
Collaborators: André Silva, Bernardo Alves, Lucas Moreira, Gustavo Monteiro, João Prado.
Management and Planning
Rísia Botrel, Isabela Tolentino, Taimara Araújo
Place
Três Corações – Minas Gerais – Brazil
Technical Data
Year of the project: 2017
Built area: 11,511 m²
Photos
Leonardo Finotti
