Discovering the historical heritage of São Paulo

By Agustina Chauffaille

Going back to the roots, to the beginning, is difficult in a city as cosmopolitan as São Paulo, where high-rise buildings rise and expand at an uncontrollable speed. In the middle of this urban landscape, buildings of heritage contrast with the sea of glass towers. They are like pauses in the frenetic rhythm of the metropolis: spaces that invite you to contemplate, observe and interpret the history of the city itself. They represent a direct passage to the past, which narrates a specific period now almost hidden between steel and glass.

São Paulo has had a rich architectural heritage since its origins. To better understand its importance, it is necessary to remember what is meant by architectural heritage: the set of buildings, monuments and building sites that have cultural, historical, artistic or social value for the community. It is, in essence, the inheritance of the past, the traces where it all began.

As author Margarita Lleida Alberch states in her academic article “Architectural Heritage, a Source for the Teaching of History and Social Sciences,” architectural heritage is the constructed memory of history. It should be considered a historical source that captures in time the context in which it was created. Alberch points out that until the middle of the 20th century, social elites were the main promoters of these constructions, while from the 21st century, within a democratic and mass society, sponsorship became an element of consumption and an educational instrument for public use.

Hence the importance of legislating, not only in São Paulo but throughout the world, on the conservation of buildings of heritage value. First, to prevent their demolition, and second, to establish regulations that guide remodeling, thus preserving the history that their walls contain.

The conservation of architectural heritage in São Paulo is developed through a legal framework that includes federal, state and municipal regulations.

At the federal level, the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones (1972) is in force.

At the state level, the Council for the Defense of the Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heritage of the State of São Paulo (CONDEPHAAT) preserves and protects cultural property covering the entire state. One of its main functions, in addition to approving restoration and conservation projects and providing advice to carry out such projects, is the cataloging and registration of cultural assets, whether they are historic buildings, archaeological sites or art collections.

At the municipal level, the Council for the Preservation of the Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heritage of São Paulo (CONPRESP), as at the state level, guarantees the protection and conservation of the city’s cultural assets. Its primary function is to register items of significant cultural, artistic or historical value, as well as to advise on and approve conservation and restoration projects.

One of the most emblematic examples of protected buildings, due to its heritage value, is the Pinacoteca do Estado, located in the center of São Paulo, a case of architectural heritage preserved within the modern urban fabric. Opened in 1905 by the government of the state of São Paulo, the Pinacoteca is the oldest art museum in the city. It is a neoclassical building designed by architect Ramos de Azevedo in 1887, originally for the headquarters of the Liceo de Artes y Oficios. Between 1993 and 1998, a thorough refurbishment was carried out to adapt it to its current function. The architect in charge of the project was Paulo Mendes da Rocha, who preserved the original structure and created new circulations through metal walkways that cross the interior courtyards at different heights, offering new points of view from previously unthinkable places. The contrast between the steel and glass profiles and the old brick walls enhances the expressiveness of the building, leaving visible the imprint of earlier refurbishments (Monographs 161 – Paulo Mendes da Rocha).

Located in front of it, another building of heritage value that tells its own story is Luz Station, the first train station in the city, designed by British architect Charles Henry Driver and inaugurated in 1901. This building transports us to a time when rail transport played a vital role in the city and the country. It stands more than 50 meters tall and features a clock tower that makes a statement. Inspired by English stations of the Victorian era, it still has large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the entrance hall, huge stained-glass windows and neoclassical columns. Being there is a direct passage to the past.

This station connects to the metro and is home to the Museum of the Portuguese Language. American designer Ralph Appelbaum was responsible for the idea of creating a museum to celebrate and study the Portuguese language. He also conceived the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha began to design this project in 2002 with his engineer, respecting the original characteristics of the building. The project was completed in 2006, giving rise to the operation of the museum until 2015, the year a fire broke out that damaged a large part of the building and the works on display. From that year on, the museum underwent a second remodeling, this time led by the original architect’s son, Pedro Mendes da Rocha, who, in addition to restoring the interior, focused on the fire-safety system to prevent the same tragedy from occurring again.

The Sampaio Moreira Building, inaugurated in the 1920s, was the first skyscraper in the city of São Paulo. Designed as a commercial building, offices for professionals, by Stockler and Das Neves, it rose to 12 floors and 50 meters tall at a time when most city constructions did not exceed four floors.

From the outset, it stood out for its eclectic design that mixed European and North American trends, as well as for being the first terrace in the city that, with its concrete pergolas and panoramic views, was a symbol of modernity at the beginning of the last century. It was considered the tallest skyscraper in the city until 1929, when the 105-meter-tall Martinelli Building was inaugurated.

In 2010 the building was expropriated by the municipality and declared historical heritage. From there, the restoration process designed by the Kruchin Arquitetura studio began in order to house the Municipal Department of Culture. This process sought to preserve the façade and the fifth façade (terrace), respecting the original construction and restructuring the internal organization of the floors for the new use. To that end, new circulation axes were created through a new volume of metal walkways. In this way, the original structure is preserved, and the renovation is highlighted with another material to achieve a clear contrast. The old elevators were updated, and a new 400-square-meter auditorium square was created with a roofed area for cultural use. Access to this square is through the adjoining building, which was also expropriated and had its façade rehabilitated to serve as the entrance to the new square.

Today, the Casa Godinho store still operates on the ground floor, a grocery store even older than the building itself. The building, which still preserves the values and charm of the old shops, was declared by the CONPRESP intangible heritage of the city, which gives it even more history than it can tell alone.

Preserving the architectural heritage of São Paulo not only means preserving old buildings, but also keeping alive the collective memory of a city that never stops transforming. Each restoration, each wall that remains standing, represents a bridge between the past and the present, between history and modernity. The Pinacoteca, Luz Station and the Sampaio Moreira Building are just examples of how São Paulo’s identity is expressed through architecture, dialoguing with the urban environment without losing its essence.

In a context where urban growth seems to have no limits, recognizing and protecting these spaces reaffirms the city’s cultural identity and ensures that future generations can continue to read its history in the traces of time.