Beach Complex (Na Praia) by Estúdio MRGB + ARQBR Arquitetura e Urbanismo + BLOCO Arquitetos

Reimagining Brasília’s Waterfront with the Na Praia Complex

The Beach Complex (Na Praia), designed by Estúdio MRGB, ARQBR Arquitetura e Urbanismo, and BLOCO Arquitetos, is a groundbreaking waterfront entertainment and cultural destination located on the shores of Lake Paranoá in Brasília, Brazil.

Despite its vast artificial lake, Brasília has historically lacked public, accessible waterfront experiences. The Na Praia project redefines this relationship, transforming the city’s edge into a vibrant coastal-like urban retreat, blending architecture, landscape design, and social interaction.

Temporary and Permanent Architecture in Harmony

The Na Praia Complex merges temporary and permanent structures. While scenographic installations change annually with seasonal events, the fixed architectural elements bring long-lasting identity and continuity to the space.

The project involved a unique collaboration between three architectural studios:

• BLOCO Arquitetos – responsible for the Beach Tent (restaurant, bar, restrooms, showers).
• Estúdio MRGB – designed the Access Pavilion.
• ARQBR Arquitetura e Urbanismo – developed the Shops, Cafés, Gastronomic Village, and Beer Bar.

This multi-studio collaboration ensured architectural unity while respecting each firm’s design philosophy, creating a balanced dialogue between austerity, sustainability, and cultural vibrancy.

Design Concept and Materiality

The design emphasizes lightweight construction, sustainable materials, and modular efficiency to meet budgetary constraints and an accelerated construction schedule of just 100 days.

Key features include:

• Metal structures made of welded tubular profiles for speed and durability.
• Bamboo as the primary material for brises, ceilings, pergolas, and shading elements, evoking a tropical and “beach-like” atmosphere.
• Marine plywood and cementitious boards for enclosures in utility areas.
• Natural landscaping integrating preserved native trees with Cerrado species, palms, and exotic vegetation to strengthen ecological diversity.

The architectural approach balances modernism and rustic charm, embracing Brasília’s rational urbanism while softening it with natural textures and climate-responsive strategies.

Architectural Highlights

Access Pavilion – Estúdio MRGB

The Access Pavilion acts as the gateway to Na Praia, setting the tone for visitors. Inspired by Brasília’s modernist icons, the pavilion adopts a horizontal, minimalist design that subtly integrates into the landscape.

Bamboo brises filter natural light, while steel modular structures create rhythm and order. The pavilion houses ticketing areas, VIP spaces, restrooms, and support facilities, combining functionality with an immersive sensory experience of light, texture, and space.

Gastronomic Village, Shops, and Cafés – ARQBR

The Gastronomic Village and retail spaces are designed with a flexible modular grid, using steel frames paired with bamboo shading. White-painted structures contrast with the natural bamboo, creating a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere.

The Beer Bar stands out for its entirely bamboo-based structure, formed from triangular assemblies that create a lightweight yet striking landmark. These spaces enhance social interaction, combining food, drinks, and leisure under a cohesive material and spatial language.

Beach Tent – BLOCO Arquitetos

Positioned closest to the lake, the Beach Tent is both a functional restaurant-bar and a visual landmark of the complex. With an 8.8-meter-high gable roof and cross-ventilation strategies, the structure enhances thermal comfort while symbolizing a “beach hut” identity.

Sand is intentionally used as flooring in sections of the dining hall, blurring the line between architecture and landscape, and reinforcing the “urban beach” experience.

A New Urban Waterfront for Brasília

The Beach Complex / Na Praia is more than an entertainment hub—it is an urban intervention that redefines Brasília’s relationship with Lake Paranoá. By blending architecture, landscape design, sustainable materials, and cultural programming, the complex creates a new kind of public waterfront space for the Federal Capital.

It demonstrates how architecture can reshape social experiences, promote sustainability, and reinterpret urban identity, all while honoring Brasília’s unique modernist heritage.

All the photographs are works of Joana França