Ruy Ohtake

Who he is

Ruy Ohtake (São Paulo, 1938 — São Paulo, 2021) was one of the most celebrated Brazilian architects of his generation. The son of visual artist Tomie Ohtake, he graduated from FAU-USP in 1960 and built a body of work of more than 300 projects in Brazil and abroad, marked by sculptural gestures, bold colours and curved forms. He was also a professor and an influential public figure, always advocating an expressive and socially engaged architecture — as with the interventions in Heliópolis. He died in November 2021, aged 83.

Language

• Style: bold and sculptural, with organic forms, striking curves and mirrored surfaces; the building as an urban gesture.
• Materials and signature: concrete moulded into curves, colour applied with boldness (the pink of Heliópolis became a symbol) and volumes that defy conventional verticality.
• Awards: national and international recognition over six decades; a reference name in the main archives of Brazilian architecture.

Landmark works

• Hotel Unique — São Paulo (1999), the “watermelon slice” with its inverted arch and circular windows, one of the city’s modern landmarks.
• Instituto Tomie Ohtake — São Paulo (2001), a tribute to his mother and a reference centre for visual arts, architecture and design.
• Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo (1981–1983).
• Edifício Renaissance and Edifício Santa Catarina, São Paulo.
• Housing complex and interventions in Heliópolis, with the colourful curved buildings.