Rodrigo Ohtake's Versatile Staircase Doubles as Library and Desk in São Paulo Apartment

Architect Rodrigo Ohtake has designed a multifunctional staircase for a two-story apartment in São Paulo, Brazil. The cantilevered steps form a pyramid-shaped bookshelf, with a shelf at 75 centimeters from the floor extending to the back wall to become a desk. Ohtake describes the result as 'a very poetic piece of architecture.' The staircase serves as a sculptural element that combines circulation with storage and workspace. Ohtake, born in 1984, graduated in architecture and urbanism in 2009, with a period at the Politecnico di Milano. He opened his own studio in 2011, creating furniture for his architectural projects, and in 2022 merged it with his father's practice to form a multidisciplinary firm covering architecture, design, urbanism, new materials, and construction technologies. The project was featured in Abitare magazine as a 'Smart Idea' for small spaces. Photographs by Fran Parente document the installation.