Signature · Architecture · Belo Horizonte
Gustavo Penna
The architect who designed much of contemporary Belo Horizonte — and, on the hills of Nova Lima, the three tower condominiums of Vale dos Cristais.
Who he is
Gustavo Penna graduated from the UFMG School of Architecture in 1973 and in the same year opened the firm Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados, housed ever since in a centenary eclectic mansion on Avenida Álvares Cabral, in the centre of Belo Horizonte. The firm brings together more than forty professionals and works on medium and large-scale projects, from cultural facilities to high-end residential. He is one of the central names in contemporary architecture from Minas Gerais, with international awards such as the World Architecture Festival Award (2014) and the Prix Versailles (2018).
Language
- Style: clear geometry and a single gesture per project — the design is resolved through a strong decision on volume and siting, not by an accumulation of elements.
- Materials and signature: a broad repertoire, from concrete and metal in public and cultural facilities to compositions of low blocks and generous open area in residential work.
- Awards: World Architecture Festival Award (2014) and Prix Versailles (2018), among national accolades.
Landmark works
- Vale dos Cristais — the three tower condominiums of the OR planned neighbourhood in Nova Lima: Vila Gardner (2008), Vila Hartt (2009) and Vila Grimm (2012), all with landscape design by Luiz Carlos Orsini.
- The renovation of the Mineirão stadium for the 2014 World Cup.
- The Museu de Congonhas, Expominas and the headquarters of Rede Globo Minas and Rede Bandeirantes in Belo Horizonte.
