JACÓ Restaurant: A Contemporary Fine Dining Experience in São Paulo

Located in the vibrant Vila Madalena neighborhood of São Paulo, Brazil, JACÓ Restaurant is a transformative fine dining and cocktail destination designed by Clube + AGENCIA TPBA. This innovative project reimagines a conventional residential house from the 1970s, merging historic architecture with contemporary design interventions. Covering 2,152 ft², the restaurant was completed in 2024 and photographed by Javier Agustin Rojas and the architects’ internal archive.

Preserving History Amid Urban Transformation

The original house had undergone multiple modifications over the decades, with the latest significant renovation incorporating five oversized metal beams. These structural elements allowed the removal of all existing partition and load-bearing walls, creating a spacious, unobstructed interior of approximately 120 m². Despite this radical intervention, the architects prioritized maintaining the house’s original character, highlighting its architectural form amidst a rapidly evolving urban neighborhood.

The design strategy intentionally contrasts historical and contemporary elements. By preserving the existing structure while introducing autonomous tectonic interventions, JACÓ Restaurant celebrates the juxtaposition of different architectural eras, allowing guests to experience a dialogue between past and present.

Innovative Spatial Design

Central to the renovation is an L-shaped folded metal wall that redefines the plot’s perimeter and divides it into two distinct zones. The first zone extends the main room into a gardened, semi-covered veranda, offering a tranquil indoor-outdoor dining experience. The second zone opens to the city, functioning as a small public plaza, integrating the restaurant with its urban context.

Both the veranda and plaza act as intermediate transitional spaces. The architects used a dark unified floor to visually connect the entire plot, creating a continuous platform that defines the building’s presence in the cityscape.

Architectural Features and Materials

The modular metal wall, composed of steel profiles and galvanized steel panels, organizes multiple openings while providing full closure when needed. Its interaction with the original roof creates a distinctive urban character, blending industrial aesthetics with the traditional residential form. This relationship between old and new structures establishes a dynamic architectural tension, reinforcing the restaurant’s identity as a contemporary yet contextually aware space.

Through these interventions, JACÓ Restaurant achieves a balance between historic preservation, modern design, and urban integration, offering visitors a unique sensory and visual experience in São Paulo’s gastronomic scene.

All photographs are works of  Javier Agustin Rojas, Acervo Interno dos Autores