Brazilian Architecture in Downtown São Paulo – 1900 – 1930

In the center of São Paulo , you can find several famous, beautiful and imposing buildings, which tell the story of the largest city in Brazil in different eras.

You’ve heard of the Martinelli Building, the Sé Cathedral or the Municipal Theater, right? These are just a few examples of buildings located in the historic center of São Paulo.

So, if you are interested in history, buildings or are thinking about living in this region , you need to get to know the Brazilian architecture in the center of São Paulo.

Therefore, we are going to write a series of texts about the architecture in this area of ​​the city, explaining the design styles and renowned architects of certain periods.

In this post, we’ll start with the years 1900 to 1930. Keep reading to find out more about the works and professionals of these decades!

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And before we talk about architecture, if you're wondering why, even though it's a wonderful neighborhood, there are still so many empty properties in the center, we have a quick summary here.

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Styles used between 1900 and 1930 in SP

The main architectural style of that time in Brazil was eclectic, which mixed several styles in its works, such as baroque, neoclassical and neogothic.

The eclectic style began to be used in the country at the end of the 19th century and remained popular until the first decades of the 20th century. It was already used in European countries, such as England and France, and first arrived in Brazil in academies. Later, it began to be used by architects in their projects.

The main characteristics of eclectic architectural works are:

· Use of different styles;

· Use of columns;

· Enhancement of symmetry;

· Use of iron;

· Grandiose facades.

Some of the greatest representatives of the eclectic style in downtown São Paulo that were designed between 1900 and 1930 are: the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), the Palace of Justice, the Sé Cathedral and the Municipal Theater.

Despite being widely used, a problem with the eclectic style in Brazil was that the materials, techniques and, in some cases, even the labor had to be imported.

Another style used at this time was art nouveau. It valued originality, symmetry, beauty and sophistication in projects. Therefore, art nouveau works were very careful with the decoration of structures and used materials such as glass, iron and ceramics.

The style also originated in Europe and began to be used in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century. Some buildings in the historic center of São Paulo that represent art nouveau are: the Vila Penteado Building and the Santa Efigênia Viaduct.

Main architects of the time

Now that you know what the styles of construction were between 1900 and 1930, check out the Brazilian professionals responsible for some of the most notable constructions of that time:

Branches of Azevedo

Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo (1851 – 1928), better known simply as Ramos de Azevedo, was born in Campinas and studied engineering and architecture at the University of Ghent, in Belgium.

In 1879, one year after graduating, Ramos de Azevedo returned to Brazil and opened his first office in Campinas. There, the architect carried out important projects, such as the Circolo Italiani Uniti, which today is the headquarters of the Casa de Saúde Campinas.

In 1886, the architect was called to design the State Secretariats in Pátio do Colégio, which included the Treasury, Police and Agriculture Secretariats. It was at this time that he moved to São Paulo and set up his office in the city.

Between 1900 and 1930, the architect and other professionals from his office were responsible for designing large buildings in the eclectic style. Some examples of his greatest works in this style in the historic center of São Paulo are:

· Municipal Theater;

· Palace of Justice;

· Municipal Market.

As Ramos de Azevedo died in 1928, at the beginning of the construction of the Municipal Market, his partners, Ricardo Severo and Armando Dumont Villares, completed the project.

Other important works that he carried out in São Paulo were: the Casa das Rosas (also completed after his death), the Polytechnic School and the Lyceum of Arts and Crafts, which today is the Pinacoteca do Estado de SP.

Have you ever dreamed of living in an authentic Ramos de Azevedo? Take a look at Citas Palecete in our units, it is located in a building listed as a historical heritage site designed by this great architect called Palacete Mococa!

Christiano Stockler das Neves

Christiano Stockler das Neves (1889 – 1982) was born in Casa Branca, in the interior of São Paulo. He began his studies in engineering and architecture at the Polytechnic School of São Paulo in 1907, but as he was dissatisfied, he ended up changing schools.

Instead of going to study in Europe, as the Brazilian elite did, Stockler went to the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. He returned to Brazil in 1912 and began working with his father, Samuel Neves, who was also an important Brazilian architect.

In downtown São Paulo, from the 1900s to the 1930s, he was responsible for the projects of the Sampaio Moreira Building (the city's first skyscraper) and the Palacete Riachuelo, which was a residential building and was built in the English neo-Gothic style. This is considered one of the first residential buildings in Latin America.

Other important works by Christiano were the Palacete Prates I (which was the City Hall and Municipal Chamber of SP, but was demolished in 1951) and the Júlio Prestes Station.

Ricardo Severo

Ricardo Severo da Fonseca e Costa (1869 – 1940) was a Portuguese engineer and architect, graduated from the Polytechnic Academy of Porto. In 1891, he participated in the republican revolt of Porto and was forced to live in Brazil.

Here he met Ramos de Azevedo and went to work in his office. By 1908, he was already a partner in the office and later set up his own company with the architect Armando Dumont Villares.

In addition to completing the construction of the Municipal Market, Ricardo Severo was also responsible for the reformulation of the Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo (USP) in the center, which began in 1930.

Later, his office would also be responsible for the projects of the Press Palace and the Matarazzo Building, which today is the headquarters of the São Paulo City Hall.

Hyppolito Pujol Junior

Another important architect for the historic center of São Paulo was Hyppolito Gustavo Pujol Junior (1880 -1952), who was born in Rio de Janeiro and went to São Paulo to study at the Polytechnic School.

In addition to creating works that are still recognized today, Pujol Junior is very important to the country because he introduced the use of reinforced concrete in Brazilian civil construction. One of his most notable works, the Guinle Building, was one of the first to be built with reinforced concrete in Brazil.

This building located in the historic center of São Paulo is also a representative of the art nouveau style and is considered the first vertical building in the city, with its 8 floors. It was built between 1913 and 1916.

Other important projects by Hyppolito in the center between 1900 and 1930 are the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), which has an eclectic style, and the Rolim Building, in Catalan modernist style.

Just look at the buildings mentioned here to realize that between 1900 and 1930, downtown São Paulo gained memorable constructions that beautify the region to this day.

Now that you know a little more about the area, keep following our blog to check out the second post about Brazilian architecture in downtown São Paulo and fall even more in love with the region!

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