Established in 2002, ESPASSO is committed to conserving Brazil's rich 20th century design heritage and expanding its global reach, while promoting new creative generations and today's leading designers.
Present in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London, the gallery represents mid-century modern and contemporary Brazilian designers, and has consolidated itself as a thriving outpost for architects, interior designers, artists, collectors and museum curators, to engage in education and exchange.
The brand has acquired global recognition for its curatorial vision and impeccable services, representing works of the finest execution and enduring cultural relevance.
Fasanello came to furniture by way of race cars, which is why the first Anel, designed around 1970 at his atelier in Santa Teresa, took the form of a ring in polyester resin and fiberglass set on a swivel column, at a time when most Brazilian furniture was still crafted from solid wood. He returned to that ring seventeen years later and left almost all of it untouched. The diameter remained at 68 cm and the seat at its original height, while everything supporting the shell was reengineered. The aluminum column of the earlier version gave way to a painted carbon steel base and column. Fasanello believed that either the material demands a shape or the shape demands a material. By the time he revisited the Anel in 1987, the form was no longer in question; the challenge lay in finding the material it called for. Anel 80s Dining Chair Ricardo Fasanello, 1987 Photos captured by @franparente and @eliseucavalcante
Brazilian modernism reached a new international audience in 2002, when Carlos Junqueira inaugurated ESPASSO in a modest Long Island City warehouse. The gallery’s name emerged organically, adopted from how early visitors casually referred to the space. From the very beginning, the guiding principle was an unwavering commitment to the material itself: solid wood, natural leather, traditional joinery, and the meticulous craftsmanship that have long defined Brazilian design. As ESPASSO expanded to Tribeca, Los Angeles, London, and Miami, each gallery became a place for architects, interior designers, and collectors to engage directly with this legacy. Our commitment to documented provenance has sustained a continuous dialogue across generations of collectible design. This curatorial rigor has also led to important institutional recognition, including ESPASSO’s gift of Sergio Rodrigues’s Mole armchair to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Zanini de Zanine’s Prisma stool to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Twenty-four years later, our reverence for craftsmanship remains unchanged. Across each of our spaces, we continue to celebrate this material heritage and the stories it carries forward. Photos captured @eliseucavalcante
Sergio Rodrigues always seemed more interested in creating furniture that reflected the relaxed and welcoming spirit of Brazilian life. His work celebrated comfort and the easy rituals of everyday living, embracing local traditions like the simple pleasure of resting in a hammock. Designed in 2002, the Diz Lounge Armchair feels like the natural evolution of a language he spent decades developing, defined by warmth and comfort. Awarded first place at the 20th Prêmio Design do Museu da Casa Brasileira, the Diz remains a quiet reminder that some of the most enduring designs are about making people feel at home. Diz Lounge Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues.
Pieces that invite you to sink in and stay awhile. Designed by Sergio Rodrigues, the Tonico sofa embodies the effortless comfort and generosity that define his work. Its distinctive head roll and relaxed proportions make it as inviting today as when it was first created. Photos by Tomas Rangel
Featured throughout the ESPASSO Apartment are ceramic works by Peter St. Lawrence, presented as part of the ongoing partnership between ESPASSO and VERSO. A collaboration dedicated to bringing together collectible design and art within a shared vision of contemporary living. Hand-built and quietly expressive, Peter St. Lawrence’s sculptures embrace irregularity as a mark of the maker’s hand.
Some pieces stop you mid-room. In the ESPASSO Apartment, each object carries history into the present, where new memories are about to be created. Together, they continue to carry on legacy, offering environments for the eyes to swoon over. The Alta chair by Oscar Niemeyer is reissued by @etel.design Conceived by @tangible.space Photography @ben__dehaan
Details that tell a story. The ESPASSO Apartment explores a way of living where architecture, design, and daily rituals come together. A fully realized environment conceived by @tangible.space, inviting a closer look at all the gestures that define a home. Featured here are designs by Claudia Moreira Salles, whose work is distinguished by an ellegant rigor and an attentive relationship to materials, alongside pieces by Sergio Rodrigues, a master of Brazilian modern design whose furniture is celebrated for its comfort and enduring character. All pieces by Claudia Moreira Salles are reissued by @etel.design Photographed by @ben__dehaan
Discover ESPASSO Miami Monday-Saturday: by appointment only mi@espasso.com 7010 NE 4th Ct Miami, FL 33138 Photos by @macarios @eliseucavalcante
