Almenat Hilton Hotel

For the interior design project of the Almenat Hilton Hotel in Embu das Artes, São Paulo – Brazil, the Brasília-based firm BLOCO Arquitetos, led by partners Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, and Matheus Seco, redesigned most of the hotel’s common areas through targeted interventions, creating a completely distinct space from the previous design.

The renovation covered the lounges, restaurants, bowling alley, and game rooms, with the goal of adapting the spaces to the hotel’s new demands, which also sought a functional update.

The biggest challenge faced by the team was carrying out the renovation while the hotel remained operational. Therefore, the entire project was developed from the outset with a focus on rapid execution, adapting it to the needs of both Hilton and Almenat, in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and budget.

The original design of this entire area was built with exposed concrete and had large open spaces with white-painted gypsum ceilings. The architects decided to maintain the original perimeter walls, using different color combinations to identify each of the three floors of the common areas, creating a contrast between the spaces that underwent intervention and the remaining areas. In this way, the application of colors also serves as a visual orientation strategy within such an extensive area.

In some sections of the ceiling, perforated metal grid panels were used, adapting to the original geometry of the space. This same ceiling “module” was used in the design of the steel grates for the bar and restaurant shelves.

For the layout design, BLOCO Arquitetos worked in collaboration with Hilton’s architects and the internal team at Almenat. Taking advantage of the irregular floor plans, it was possible to sectorize some of the functions through the use of furniture. This irregularity is organically reflected in the rugs designed by BLOCO, which help visually organize the space.

Additionally, much of the existing furniture in the hotel was reused, most of it made of wood in natural tones. Among the new pieces, Bernardo sofas from Atelier Gustavo Bittencourt were used, along with granilite side tables by Mezas, placed on Punto e Filo rugs that were specially designed by the architects for the project.

In the bar, designed by BLOCO, Clip stools with fabric and structure in Nude color by Fernando Jaeger Atelier were included. In the restaurant, Copa chairs with and without arms, featuring leather seats in Camel, Amazon, and Dune colors, also from Fernando Jaeger Atelier, were installed.

The lighting in the common areas, mainly done with multifocus fixtures, helped create a “scenic” light, designed to be almost imperceptible, embedded in the metal grid ceiling. Bossa pendants from Lumini were also used, placed above the bar tables and pool tables in the lounge.

Despite the hotel being part of the international Hilton chain, the BLOCO Arquitetos team highlights the complete freedom they had to propose something that would adapt to Brazilian culture and local demands, encouraging a design that sought to “break” the standard of the hotel chain while respecting the existing architecture.

Design: BLOCO Arquitetos
Design Team: Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, and Matheus Seco, Bárbara Neumann, Caio Nascimento
Photography: Manuel Sá