Movie Magic

Architect Marcio Kogan of Studio Mk27 discusses filmmaking, his designs for Minotti and how he evolved from creating pure white surfaces to bringing textures into his work

- Luo Jingmei

On the desk of Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan lies Michael Sheridan’s book, Room 606, about Danish architect Arne Jacobsen’s famous SAS Royal Hotel. “He drew every little thing—from the teaspoon to the architecture. I profoundly admire it,” says Kogan, the founder of Brazilian architecture firm Studio Mk27. Like its spaces, the furniture he designs for brands such as Minotti exhibits a trademark sensibility to craft and materials, and his penchant for clean forms.

Kogan hopes that his firm’s creations feature the same attention to detail as Jacobsen’s work. “We place the same importance on a master plan as we do a door knob. This quest for perfection fascinates me. Therefore, the transition from designing architecture to furniture was completely natural,” he says.

The firm’s architecture is defined by fluid transitions between spaces, particularly those of outdoor and indoor areas, to make the most of Brazil’s sub-tropical climate. Kogan’s passion for filmmaking is a key influence. In architecture school, he had made some short films. After graduation, he further pursued cinema studies. In 1988, he directed a film that did not do well. “As a result, I lost all my money and my small architectural firm collapsed due to my absence for almost eight months. Although I had no regrets, it was a significant trauma that led me to focus on architecture 24/7,” he says.

Kogan may not be a filmmaker, but elements of filmmaking are present in his work. Just as a film is made by a group of individuals with diverse skill sets, it is the same with architecture. “The second influence is that of widespread projection on a proportion of our projects. I have always loved looking through the viewfinder of a camera and seeing the world in an elongated way,” he elaborates.