a Protagonist Steel

Designed for USIMINAS, one of the largest producers of steel in the Americas, the building is aimed at creating a positive effect in strengthening the image of steel production. The monolithic appearance is combined with a wealth of detail on the outer surface. The project premise refers to the current state of Brazilian architecture, stating that technology and digital tools allowing interaction between design and manufacturing have been poorly adopted. The building aims to fully exploit the potential presented by software that includes prior analysis of structural behavior of buildings.

Quite apart from being a work of expressive image, the CTU should become a reference for the consistency of the solutions achieved by new technologies, both in projects and in their manufacture and assembly, putting steel in the condition of the protagonist of an architecture focused on sustainability. The installation of CTU in the Technological Park of Fundão can be seen as a significant step in bonding the company to the coast. As a result, there is a vast iconographic repertoire associated with the local marine life. The organic characteristics of the envelope mimic the geometric formation of the fish scales, creating forms that satisfy both aesthetic, symbolic, structural and environmental requirements.