At the end of the forties Sergio Rodrigues, while still at the School of Architecture in Rio de Janeiro, perceived that Brazilian architecture was experiencing a moment of major significance. At the same time, he realised that the interiors of these groundbreaking houses and buildings, designed by great architects such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lϊcio Costa and their colleagues, did not live up to the buildings’ innovative spirit.
“They used colonial-style furniture or imported pieces. Furniture was lacking the national identity achieved in architecture”, he recounts.
In 1956, Rodrigues founded ‘Oca Industries’in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, a brand that for two decades was the hallmark of modern furniture in Brazil. ‘Oca’ was conceived as a studio of interior design, decoration and set design, combined with an art gallery and a showroom for furniture designed by Sergio Rodrigues.
