With a height of 54 meters and 13 floors, the Sampaio Moreira Building was the first skyscraper in the city of São Paulo and held the title of tallest for five years, until the construction of the Martinelli Building, also in the city center. It also represents the inaugural work of São Paulo's metropolitan phase.  

The restoration project restructured the building's internal logic, introducing new axes of circulation through a volume of metal walkways inserted into the void between blocks. This was done without losing sight of the original design, which is still present in all the rooms. The restoration of the old elevators, the creation of an auditorium plaza linking the rooms and the metal plates that make up the ceiling, receiving all the new infrastructures, are noteworthy.  

The new square, measuring 400 square meters, offers a covered area for cultural use, such as pocket shows, seminars and book launches. Visitors can access it through the neighboring building, which was expropriated and had its façade restored to serve as the entrance to the new square. On the first floor, Casa Godinho is still in operation. The grocery store is older than the building itself and has been considered an intangible heritage of the city since 2013. 

Team:

Architects: Kruchin Arquitetura

Photographer: Daniel Ducci