Located in Porto Alegre’s Moinhos de Vento district—an urban fabric marked by tree-lined streets and layered architectural history—Marquês 650 emerges as an urban intervention that intertwines memory and contemporaneity. At the heart of the site stands a preserved historic house, not treated as a relic but as a catalyst for the project’s narrative. Around this element, the new building is carefully composed, fostering a dialogue between permanence and transformation that becomes central to its identity.
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Marquês 650
Residential Architecture (Under Construction)
Firm
OSPA Arquitetura e Urbanismo
Architect/Designer
PARTNER IN CHARGE | Rodrigo Milani PROJECT LEADER | Henrique Clezar
Design Team
SPECIALISTS | Carolina Souza Pinto, Cristiano Carneiro, Franco Miotto. ARCHITECTURE | Guilherme Führ, Letícia Garcia. COORDINATION | Henrique Clezar INTERIOR DESIGN | Guilherme Führ, Felipe Carneiro, Felipe Aguiar. LIGHTING DESIGN | Guilherme Führ, Felipe Carneiro, Felipe Aguiar.
Location
Porto Alegre, RS, BR
Country
Brazil
Photographer/Copyright
©Vista
Social Media Handles:
Website
https://www.ospaarqurb.com.br/marques-650
The architecture is structured into two primary volumes: a grounded plinth and a recessed tower. The base, articulated through faceted wooden masses, engages directly with the pedestrian scale. It frames visual connections to the neighborhood and to the preserved residence, establishing a sense of belonging at street level. Above, the tower is elevated on inclined columns, its fragmented massing intentionally reduced to respect the human scale while accentuating the historic structure below. Rather than juxtaposition, the gesture is one of continuity—an unfolding of the district’s layered history through a contemporary lens.
On the ground plane, the design blurs traditional boundaries between public and private. The removal of perimeter fencing and the adaptive reuse of the historic house for commercial purposes activate the streetscape, allowing the sidewalk to function as a civic extension of the neighborhood. A garden of native species expands the existing vegetation into the site, while Portuguese stone paving creates a fluid transition from street to garden to entry. This careful sequencing transforms arrival into a civic ritual rooted in context.
Programmatically, the building introduces moments of collective experience strategically within its vertical organization. A shared amenities level—inserted mid-tower—concentrates uses such as lounge, playroom, gym, and a 25-meter lap pool with an infinity edge. This consolidation preserves the tower’s sculptural clarity while enhancing circulation and social interaction. At the rooftop, a spa, sauna, and contemplative terraces provide panoramic views of the city, situating the project not only within its immediate block but also within Porto Alegre’s broader territorial fabric.
The material palette is restrained and enduring, weaving architecture, interior design, and landscape into a cohesive sensorial experience. Wood, stone, and glass are deployed with precision, creating a tactile continuity between exterior and interior spaces. In total, the building houses 47 residences across 12 floors, with unit sizes ranging from 135 to 330 square meters. Floor plans emphasize the social dimension of living: corner living rooms and floor-to-ceiling glazing establish seamless connections with the outside, amplifying light and perception of space. At the uppermost level, two penthouses crown the tower with expansive terraces of 66 and 73 square meters—horizontal rooftops conceived for open-sky living. Marquês 650 is certified at the Diamond level by Porto Alegre’s Environmental Sustainability Program. Strategies such as cross ventilation, generous daylighting, and the rehabilitation of the existing structure are not add-ons but integral to the architectural conception. The result is a framework of longevity and performance that privileges both environmental responsibility and spatial quality. More than an object imposed on its surroundings, Marquês 650 is a site-specific response—interpreting, amplifying, and returning the neighborhood’s character as an urban gesture.
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