The greatest foreign architects with listed buildings in downtown SP
Curious to know who are the greatest foreign architects with listed buildings in downtown São Paulo? Come with Citas and we'll tell you everything!
Downtown São Paulo is full of iconic buildings designed by Brazilian architects, such as Niemeyer's Copan , Hyppolito Pujol Junior's Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) and Plínio Botelho do Amaral's Edifício Altino Arantes (better known as Farol Santander). We tell you a little about the Brazilian architects who left their mark on downtown São Paulo in these two texts - one talking about the period 1900-1930 and the other about the period 1940-1960.
But did you know that this area also has beautiful works by foreign professionals? Many of them have even been listed to continue beautifying the region and preserving its history. We have the works of the greatest foreign architects in the region!
By the way, if you dream of living in a building designed by one of these great names, take a look at our apartments ! It's a listed building and everything!
To help you learn more about these buildings and their creators, in this post we will list the 5 greatest foreign architects with listed buildings in downtown São Paulo . So, keep reading to get to know them and fall even more in love with this area of the capital!
Maximilian Hehl
Maximilian Emil Hehl (1861 – 1916) was a great foreign architect. Born in Germany, he carried out several important works in Brazil. He graduated in engineering and architecture from the Polytechnic School of Hannover, Germany, and soon came to Brazil at the invitation of his brother to work on the construction of the Bahia and Minas Railway.
In 1890, two years after moving to the country, Hehl went to São Paulo and began working at the architectural firm of Ramos de Azevedo. In the capital, he designed several buildings, the most important of which was certainly the Metropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo.
Better known as the Sé Cathedral, this work was designed by Hehl in 1912. However, it was only inaugurated years after the architect's death, in 1954. The grand architecture of the Cathedral has an eclectic style, because it combines Renaissance and neo-Gothic elements.
In addition, Maximilian Hehl also designed the Parish of Our Lady of Consolation (Consolation Church) and Vila Adelaide, a small palace called a “little castle” in São Paulo. Unfortunately, the latter building has already been demolished.
William Fillinger
You've probably heard of the Martinelli Building, haven't you? It is the main work of Vilmos (William) Fillinger (1888 – 1968), a Hungarian architect. He graduated in architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and, in 1912, came to Santos, Brazil. In the coastal city, Fillinger carried out several projects.
However, his most famous building is the Martinelli Building, in downtown São Paulo. The building, which was designed by the Italian commander Giuseppe Martinelli, would have 12 floors according to the Hungarian architect's design. However, as the commander wanted the building to have 30 floors, this characteristic was changed.
This change caused controversy and many Brazilians were afraid that the building would collapse. So, entrepreneur Martinelli moved his family to the top floor to show the public that the building was safe. When it was inaugurated in 1929, the building had not yet been finished and was already the tallest in the world outside the United States.
William Fillinger also designed the Hotel Victoria, in the República region, but it is another building that was demolished in the center of SP.
Jacques Pilon
Jacques Émile Paul Pilon (1905 – 1962) is another of the greatest foreign architects whose works were carried out in the city center. He was a French architect who transformed the center of São Paulo with his works. He moved to Brazil in 1910, when he was only 5 years old, because his father was hired to manage the port of Rio de Janeiro. When he grew up, he returned to France to study architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
After graduating, the architect returned to Rio de Janeiro, but soon moved to São Paulo, where he created the company PILMAT (Pilon-Matarazzo Ltda) with civil engineer Francisco Matarazzo Neto. Together, they completed several impressive projects in downtown São Paulo, such as the Santo André Building, Paissandu and the Mário de Andrade Library.
This is a major landmark in São Paulo architecture, combining modern elements with the art deco style. After the end of the PILMAT company, Pilon participated in other important projects in downtown São Paulo. Some examples are the creation of the São Luiz Building, the Edlu and the Pauliceia/São Carlos do Pinhal, designed with Gian Carlo Gasperini.
Carlos Ekman
Another foreign architect who left his mark on the center of the capital was the Swede Karl Wilhelm Ekman or Carlos Ekman (1866 – 1940). Graduated from the Stockholm School of Engineering, Ekman lived in the United States and Argentina before coming to Brazil.
The first time he came to Brazil was in 1890, and the architect stayed here for two years. He then returned to Argentina and, in 1894, went to São Paulo at the invitation of his friend, architect Augusto Fried.
Its main building in the center of SP is the Álvares Penteado School of Commerce, built between 1907 and 1908. It has the Sezession style, which is an Austrian branch of art nouveau.
Before that, in 1902, Ekman also designed Vila Penteado for the merchant Álvares Penteado. This, which also has a Sezession style, was the first work in art nouveau in Brazil and is still considered the best example of this style in the country. Currently, the Vila houses the postgraduate department of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo (USP).
Richard Berndl
Speaking of the greatest foreign architects, we cannot forget Richard Berndl (1875 – 1955). Pillon was a German architect who renovated a very important building in downtown São Paulo. The professor from the University of Munich designed the current architecture of the São Bento Monastery, which is one of the corners of the Historic Triangle and has been present in the capital since 1600.
The professional designed the project in 1910 in the Beuron style, which is a German artistic movement that was almost extinguished by the Second World War. This style values the union of art and architecture.
That is why the Monastery, which houses the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption and the College of Saint Benedict, has an interior full of works of art. It contains paintings, sculptures and artistic elements from different civilizations, such as the Byzantine and Egyptian. The interior decoration was also done by a foreigner: D. Adelbert Gresnicht, a Dutch monk.
The place is so grand and important that it was chosen to accommodate Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Brazil in 2007.
It is no coincidence that the main buildings designed by these foreign architects in downtown São Paulo are listed as heritage sites. After all, they are wonderful, imposing and help to tell the story of the area. Can you imagine this region, for example, without the Sé Cathedral? Impossible.
That's why the buildings and their creators make people fall in love with the area and the city even more. So, now that you know more about the foreign architects with listed buildings in downtown São Paulo and have more admiration for the capital, how about checking out how much it costs to live alone in São Paulo ?