OUR HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY
Corinthian is the most elaborate of the three main columns in the history of architecture. Ionic and Doric are the other two.
Carved in stone, they combined the structure of a building with sculpture. These two disciplines converge in the verticality and purity of such a noble material, stone.
As a brand, we aim to combine and emphasize the artistic element in utilitarian pieces. Let's take the example of a bathroom sink. It's a utilitarian element found in every home; why not give it a sculptural/artistic value? Beautify the utilitarian, as the Greeks did with their Corinthian columns.
Corinthia originates in Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, with Mediterranean references, two different spheres, and distinct cultures in the use of ornamental rocks. It's the link between the purity and pristine nature, the raw, the exotic world of waterfalls set against the backdrop of quartzite, and the tradition of using stone as ornamentation and masonry.
Sustainability and Artisanal Production
Honoring the legacy of mineral craftsmanship in Morro do Chapéu, Coríntia presents a catalog where both pieces are entirely artisanally crafted. It is our premise to revive the local artisans who have gradually disappeared due to lack of opportunities in the industry. Mastery and dexterity are crucial adjectives for those working with the tough and resilient Quartzite.
In line with our social intentions, recovering artisans associated with the now-defunct school and cooperative in Morro do Chapéu, sustainability is imperative—both in production methods and raw materials.
At Coríntia, the stones we carve are exclusively rejects discarded by mining companies. These rejects, referred to as 'tailings dams,' have a significant environmental impact, occupying vast areas that affect local biodiversity, from fauna to flora.
Due to their geological properties, with higher resistance and lower absorption capacity, we do not use synthetic resins. As Coríntia grows, every step we take will bear the mark of sustainable responsibility, considering the environment and the stone's lifespan.
Supporting impactful values and attitudes must be justified through environmental impact studies. Coríntia, in collaboration with architect and sustainable engineering master's student at the University of Copenhagen, Manuel Higgs Morgado, bridges the gap between academia and the company's daily practices. This consultancy aims for a complete transition in the near future for Coríntia and entry into the Danish market.
Head Designer
Guilherme Falcão
Born in Portalegre, in the Alentejo region of Portugal, Guilherme Falcão holds a Master's degree in Architecture, having attended the University of Lisbon and the University of Porto in Portugal.
Art is not only a part of his formal education; it's a language he inherited from his grandfather, the painter José Manuel Falcão, at an early age. Immersed in an artistic environment and building a network of references that would later fuel his work, he carried this cultural baggage to Brazil. In 2021, he began his work in architecture, and in 2022, he co-founded Atelier Coríntia with Rozana Burgos and engineer Rafael Vasconcellos, who possesses geological knowledge of the Chapada Diamantina. In Coríntia, he holds the position of Creative Director and Head Designer.
The transition from architecture to sculpture/design was a natural progression. At the University of Porto, for his master's dissertation, he wrote 'The Presence of Form'. This essay sought a correlation between the architectural process, with all its formal intentions, and sculpture. The deconstruction of a solid block with architectural intentions through acts of subtraction and composition—full—empty—positive—negative—now manifests in utilitarian sculptures.
“Beauty
The first sense
Art
the first word
then wonder
Then the inner realization of ‘Form’
The sense of the wholeness of inseparable elements.
Design consults Nature
to give presence to the elements
A work of art makes manifest the wholeness of the ‘Form’
a symphony of the selected shapes of the elements.
In the elements
the joint inspires ornament, its celebration.
The detail is the adoration of Nature.”
Poem about the work of Carlo Scarpa, by Lois I. Kahn
Contact for sales, inquiries, contracts, or returns:
Email: geral@ateliercorintia.com Phone: Brazil - +55 (71) 99117-1016 Portugal - +351 961440887 Atelier: Rua Senhor dos Passos, 513, Morro do Chapéu. CEP 44850-000. Bahia, Brazil.