Natural materials fill Desinchá tea shop in São Paulo by SuperLimão

Trailing plants and a rope-lined staircase feature in the flagship store for a tea company designed by Brazilian studio SuperLimão.

The shop serves as the first brick-and-mortar location for Desinchá, a fast-growing tea brand that was started in 2017. The company is focused on selling products that promote good health.

Teashop with kinetic facade — Desinchá tea shop features a kinetic facade

Local firm SuperLimão was tasked with creating a retail space that would represent the brand and provide a memorable experience for shoppers. The chosen location was a 16-square-metre, two-storey space on Oscar Freire, one of the busiest avenues in São Paulo.

“With no way to grow sideways, the out-of-the-box solution was to verticalize and confuse the senses,” the designers said.

desincha store superlimao interiors usa dezeen 2364 col 3 scaled — Inside, a staircase emerges from a bed of small rocks

The experience begins out front, where the team created a kinetic facade composed of metal leaves set within a grid of concrete blocks.

“Approximately 1,000 aluminium sheets inserted into the hollow concrete elements move with the wind, mimicking a treetop,” the team said.

Vending machine outside Desinchá — A external vending machine is always in use

The front elevation also has a brightly coloured vending machine, which enables customers to purchase Desinchá products at any time.

Upon entering the shop, visitors encounter a light-filled space with wooden shelves and greenery. A staircase emerges from a bed of rocks and invites shoppers to head upstairs.

Rope staircase railings — Rope was used to form staircase railings

Rope was used to form the staircase railings and the risers between wooden treads.

“Little by little, the conventional store is transformed into a playful environment,” the team said.

On the upper level, the team created a domed installation comprising more than 50 mirrors. Plants are reflected in the mirrors, giving the illusion of a vertical garden.

The domed installation serves more than an aesthetic function. The reflective surfaces direct sunlight to a large tea-making device called the Cold Drip, which floats in the centre of the stairwell.

Cold Drip tea-making device — Mirrors direct sunlight to the Cold Drip

Made up of borosilicate glass vessels, the device enables customers to see a special way of brewing tea using ice and sunlight.

“In an almost magical way, the sun’s rays melt the ice, cold water drips into a funnel full of herbs, and this process slowly extracts all the essence and aroma of Desinchá,” the team said.

Glass mirrors create reflections — Reflections are seen throughout the shop

Similar to boats, the team made use of every nook and cranny in the compact shop for storage and equipment. A small bathroom is hidden upstairs.

“Perhaps the most unusual solution is the bathroom on the upper floor, camouflaged behind a wooden panel,” the architects said.

Desinchá features green plants — Plants are scattered throughout the project

Other projects by SuperLimão include a dental office with pink accents, a cave-like beer hall with gabion walls, and a pared-down apartment in an Oscan Niemeyer-designed building.

The photography is by Maíra Acayaba.

Project credits:

Architecture: Superlimão
Team: Lula Gouveia, Brunna Dourado, Maria Fernanda Elaiuy, Diogo Matsui, Maria Fernanda Bellodi
Landscaping: Teco Paisagismo
Lighting: LdArti
Locksmiths: Oficina 27
Woodwork: Detalhe04 + Desinchá
Cold Drip: Classe A vidros
Vending machine: lab 220
Cementitious floor: Mapei