![Fachada do Edifício Seguradoras [título atribuído]. Fotografia Leonardo Finotti.](https://institutoarthurcasas.com/media/collectiveaccess/images/4/75800_ca_object_representations_media_428_page.jpg)
Fachada do Edifício Seguradoras [título atribuído]. Fotografia Leonardo Finotti.
- Design solution
- brise soleil system
- Design solution
- brise soleil system
- Project name
- Edifício Seguradoras
- Solution type
- Environmental comfort, solar control, facade
- Construction systems
- Cast-in-place concrete
- Attributed authorship
- Marcelo Roberto, Milton Roberto, Maurício Roberto
- Year
- 1949
- Status
- Build, high loss of architectural integrity
Project name
Edifício Seguradoras
3D Models
Innovative aspects
- Key aspects
-
The Seguradoras Building was the first project by MMM Roberto to employ brise-soleil devices as elements set independently from the glazing plane. The solution represented a further development of the architects’ previous experiments at the Brazilian Press Association Building, completed in 1936, and the IRB Building, completed in 1941. The program consisted of offices for insurance companies distributed across sixteen stories, with retail spaces at ground level.
The combination of vertical and horizontal shading devices responded to the southwest façade’s exposure to afternoon sunlight, which reaches the elevation at both horizontal and vertical angles. Izaga (2022, p. 26) describes the system as a dual mechanism composed of articulated horizontal louvers inserted into openings within a cantilevered concrete projection, together with pivoting vertical louver panels aligned with the outer edge of the surrounding frame. These elements gave the building envelope a dynamic and tactile quality by continuously altering the relationship between illuminated and shaded surfaces -
The Seguradoras Building was the first project by MMM Roberto to employ brise-soleil devices as elements set independently from the glazing plane. The solution represented a further development of the architects’ previous experiments at the Brazilian Press Association Building, completed in 1936, and the IRB Building, completed in 1941. The program consisted of offices for insurance companies distributed across sixteen stories, with retail spaces at ground level.
The combination of vertical and horizontal shading devices responded to the southwest façade’s exposure to afternoon sunlight, which reaches the elevation at both horizontal and vertical angles. Izaga (2022, p. 26) describes the system as a dual mechanism composed of articulated horizontal louvers inserted into openings within a cantilevered concrete projection, together with pivoting vertical louver panels aligned with the outer edge of the surrounding frame. These elements gave the building envelope a dynamic and tactile quality by continuously altering the relationship between illuminated and shaded surfaces - Relevance / contribution
- This project exemplifies a technically and formally rigorous architectural response to the solar-control requirements of office spaces and buildings with façades exposed to intense direct sunlight.
- This project exemplifies a technically and formally rigorous architectural response to the solar-control requirements of office spaces and buildings with façades exposed to intense direct sunlight.
- Contemporary technical aspects
-
Brazilian modern architecture came to understand the façade as an element that mediates between interior and exterior conditions¹. Solar-control devices and natural-ventilation strategies were incorporated into building envelopes to improve environmental performance².
In tropical climates, natural ventilation combined with external brise-soleil devices can reduce solar heat gain and improve thermal comfort, demonstrating the effectiveness of passive solutions adapted to local conditions³.
The performance of these systems nevertheless depends on appropriate design, technical specification, installation, and maintenance. Failures at any of these stages may reduce durability and environmental effectiveness, making an integrated approach essential⁴.
Studies of commercial buildings indicate potential reductions of up to 18.08% in thermal load, increases of up to 30% in the number of hours within the thermal-comfort range⁵, and solar-shading effectiveness of up to 39.68%⁶.
Although each project requires a specific analysis, external brise-soleil systems remain technically relevant as passive strategies for improving building performance. -
Brazilian modern architecture came to understand the façade as an element that mediates between interior and exterior conditions¹. Solar-control devices and natural-ventilation strategies were incorporated into building envelopes to improve environmental performance².
In tropical climates, natural ventilation combined with external brise-soleil devices can reduce solar heat gain and improve thermal comfort, demonstrating the effectiveness of passive solutions adapted to local conditions³.
The performance of these systems nevertheless depends on appropriate design, technical specification, installation, and maintenance. Failures at any of these stages may reduce durability and environmental effectiveness, making an integrated approach essential⁴.
Studies of commercial buildings indicate potential reductions of up to 18.08% in thermal load, increases of up to 30% in the number of hours within the thermal-comfort range⁵, and solar-shading effectiveness of up to 39.68%⁶.
Although each project requires a specific analysis, external brise-soleil systems remain technically relevant as passive strategies for improving building performance.
Image gallery
![Fachada do Edifício Seguradoras [título atribuído]. Fotografia Leonardo Finotti.](https://institutoarthurcasas.com/media/collectiveaccess/images/4/6683_ca_object_representations_media_428_medium.jpg)
![Detalhes da fachada do Edifício Seguradoras com brises metálicos [título atribuído]. Fotografia Eduardo Kneese de Mello Fonte: Arquigrafia.](https://institutoarthurcasas.com/media/collectiveaccess/images/4/93691_ca_object_representations_media_426_medium.jpg)
![Detalhes da fachada do Edifício Seguradoras com brises metálicos [título atribuído]. Fotografia Eduardo Kneese de Mello Fonte: Arquigrafia.](https://institutoarthurcasas.com/media/collectiveaccess/images/4/50224_ca_object_representations_media_427_medium.jpg)
Technical sheet
The combination of vertical and horizontal shading devices responded to the southwest façade’s exposure to afternoon sunlight, which reaches the elevation at both horizontal and vertical angles. Izaga (2022, p. 26) describes the system as a dual mechanism composed of articulated horizontal louvers inserted into openings within a cantilevered concrete projection, together with pivoting vertical louver panels aligned with the outer edge of the surrounding frame. These elements gave the building envelope a dynamic and tactile quality by continuously altering the relationship between illuminated and shaded surfaces
The combination of vertical and horizontal shading devices responded to the southwest façade’s exposure to afternoon sunlight, which reaches the elevation at both…
In tropical climates, natural ventilation combined with external brise-soleil devices can reduce solar heat gain and improve thermal comfort, demonstrating the effectiveness of passive solutions adapted to local conditions³.
The performance of these systems nevertheless depends on appropriate design, technical specification, installation, and maintenance. Failures at any of these stages may reduce durability and environmental effectiveness, making an integrated approach essential⁴.
Studies of commercial buildings indicate potential reductions of up to 18.08% in thermal load, increases of up to 30% in the number of hours within the thermal-comfort range⁵, and solar-shading effectiveness of up to 39.68%⁶.
Although each project requires a specific analysis, external brise-soleil systems remain technically relevant as passive strategies for improving building performance.
In tropical climates, natural ventilation combined with external brise-soleil devices can reduce solar heat gain and improve thermal comfort, demonstrating the effectiveness of passive solutions adapted to local conditions³.
The performance of these systems nevertheless depends on appropriate design, technical specification, installation, and…
The fixed horizontal louvers were supported within a projecting concrete structure formed by a 1.15-meter extension of the floor slabs. Openings within this cantilevered element accommodated the aluminum louvers, which were laterally secured inside the concrete frame.
The vertical shading system consisted of articulated aluminum louver panels capable of rotating up to 90 degrees around a central axis.
Each vertical panel measured approximately 1.60 meters and was mounted at the outer edge of the same slab projection that supported the horizontal louvers. The system was positioned approximately 1.05 meters away from the building’s glazing line.
The combination of fixed and operable elements created a secondary environmental layer in front of the façade. In addition to intercepting direct sunlight, the system introduced depth, movement, and changing patterns of light and shadow.
According to the available sources, including Barber (2019), the original brise-soleil devices were removed during the 1980s, when mechanical air-conditioning equipment was introduced.
Although present-day climatic conditions may, during certain periods, exceed the environmental parameters considered when the building was designed, external shading devices remain effective in reducing direct solar radiation and the resulting heat gain.
By lowering cooling demand, these systems can also reduce dependence on mechanical air-conditioning, electricity consumption, and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building operation.
The fixed horizontal louvers were supported within a projecting concrete structure formed by a 1.15-meter extension of the floor slabs. Openings within this cantilevered element accommodated the aluminum louvers, which were laterally secured inside the concrete frame.
The vertical shading system consisted of articulated aluminum louver panels…
Fundo M.M.M. Roberto - Acervo do Núcleo de Pesquisa e Documentação - NPD/UFRJ - Brasil.
Fundo M.M.M. Roberto - Acervo do Núcleo de Pesquisa e Documentação - NPD/UFRJ - Brasil.
Sources and references
- Arquigrafia: ambiente colaborativo web de imagens de Arquitetura
- Companhia Nacional de Cimento Portland [Anúncio]. Edifício Seguradoras, Rio de Janeiro, jan-mar 1951. Revista Municipal de Engenharia, n.1, v.18, p.5. Disponível em: https://memoria.bn.gov.br/docreader/DocReader.aspx?bib=142832&Pesq="edifício seguradoras"&id=4525808559338&pagfis=5973 Acesso em out. 2025.
- CARVALHO, Claudia Suely Rodrigues de. Preservação da arquitetura moderna: edifícios de escritórios no Rio de Janeiro construídos entre 1930 - 1960. 2006. Tese (Doutorado em História e Fundamentos da Arquitetura e do Urbanismo) - Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2006. Disponível em: https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/16/16133/tde-06062012-151105/publico/Tese_Claudia_S_Rodrigues.pdf Acesso em nov. 2025
- IZAGA, Fabiana Generoso de, Os edifícios de escritórios dos irmãos MMM Roberto no Centro do Rio de Janeiro – ou toda arquitetura leva a um urbanismo, Revista Docomomo Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, n. 5, p. 21-30, fev. 2022. Disponível em: https://revista.docomomobrasil.com/revista/article/view/88/68 Acesso em jul. 2026
- OLGYAY, Victor; Aladar. Solar Control and Shading Device. s New York: Reinhold, 1957. apud. BARBER, Daniel A. Climate-Sensitive Architecture as a Blueprint: Habits, Shades, and the Irresistible Staircase, mai. 2019. Disponível em https://springs-rcc.org/climate-sensitive-architecture/. Acesso em out. 2025.
- Aspectos técnicos contemporâneos:
- 1.ESKINAZI, Mara Oliveira; PENTER, Pedro Engel. A fachada como interface, de Lucio Costa a Irmãos Roberto: repertório de projeto. In: SEMINÁRIO DOCOMOMO BRASIL, 13., 2019, Salvador. Anais [...].Disponível em: https://anais.docomomobrasil.com/brasil/sdbr13/sdbr13-015/. Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- 2.CIRNE, Karin Huscher. Recomendações de projeto para o uso de brises em fachadas de edifícios multipavimentos. 2024. 79 f. Monografia (Especialização em Tecnologia e Gestão na Produção de Edifícios) – Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2024.
- Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.11606/003185572.Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- 3.CUNHA, Victória de Seixas; BASTOS, Leopoldo Eurico Gonçalves. Avaliação bioclimática de edifício moderno: o caso do Edifício Nova Cintra, Parque Guinle, Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: UFRJ, [s.d.].Disponível em: https://anais.docomomobrasil.com/brasil/sdbr13/sdbr13-011/.Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- 4.ESKINAZI, Mara Oliveira. Interfaces cariocas: Irmãos Roberto e a dimensão urbana da arquitetura para a habitação. Registros, v. 19, n. 1, p. 89–109, jan./jun. 2023.
- Disponível em: https://revistasfaud.mdp.edu.ar/registros/article/view/602.Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- 5.TORRES, T., BRASILEIRO, A., & SILVOSO, M. M. (2023). Ambientes Universitários Eficientes: Estudo Do Impacto Energético e conômico Da Implementação de Brises-soleis no Edifício Jorge Machado Moreira. Encontro Latino-Americano E Europeu Sobre Edificações E Comunidades Sustentáveis (euroELECS), 4(1), 940–952. Disponível em: https://eventos.antac.org.br/index.php/euroelecs/article/view/2573/2378
- fev. 2026. Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- 6. MAIA RAMOS, Rafael; DA COSTA MATTOS , Ana Beatriz; FLEMMING, Liane; SOUZA CAETANO, Diego. Comparação do Conforto Térmico entre os dois Terminais do Aeroporto Santos Dumont - RJ: Uma análise da insolação nos brises modernos. In: ENCONTRO NACIONAL DE CONFORTO NO AMBIENTE CONSTRUÍDO, 18., 2025. Anais [...]. [S. l.], 2025. DOI: 10.46421/encacelacac.v18i1.7184. Disponível em: https://eventos.antac.org.br/index.php/encac/article/view/7184. Acesso em: Acesso em: abr. 2026.
- Arquigrafia: ambiente colaborativo web de imagens de Arquitetura
- Companhia Nacional de Cimento Portland [Anúncio]. Edifício Seguradoras, Rio de Janeiro, jan-mar 1951. Revista Municipal de Engenharia, n.1, v.18, p.5. Disponível em: https://memoria.bn.gov.br/docreader/DocReader.aspx?bib=142832&Pesq="edifício seguradoras"&id=4525808559338&pagfis=5973 Acesso em out. 2025.
- CARVALHO, Claudia Suely Rodrigues de. Preservação da arquitetura moderna: edifícios de escritórios no Rio de Janeiro construídos entre 1930 - 1960. 2006. Tese (Doutorado em História e Fundamentos da Arquitetura e do Urbanismo) - Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2006. Disponível em: https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/16/16133/tde-06062012-151105/publico/Tese_Claudia_S_Rodrigues.pdf Acesso em nov. 2025
- IZAGA, Fabiana Generoso de, Os edifícios de escritórios dos irmãos MMM Roberto no Centro do Rio de Janeiro – ou toda arquitetura leva a um urbanismo, Revista Docomomo Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, n. 5, p. 21-30, fev. 2022. Disponível em: https://revista.docomomobrasil.com/revista/article/view/88/68 Acesso em jul. 2026
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