A Concrete Vase Inspired by Niemeyer’s Palácio de Alvorada

Dutch designer Gert-Jan Soepenberg designed a concrete vase inspired by Oscar Niemeyer’s Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the President of Brazil. The vase, which is #1 in a new series of architecture-inspired vases, is made of rotation molded concrete.

Normally, rotation molding is used for plastics, but Soepenberg built a custom machine that allowed him to create incredibly thin concave shapes for his vases. He coats each of the vases with an acrylic resin to make them watertight.

I have abstracted the Palácio de Alvorada’s strongest shape into a vase that captures the spirit of the building.

Caroline Williamson is the former Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk and a writer with a passion for modern design, architecture, and creative culture. She holds a BFA in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, solving New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or curating Spotify playlists.

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