By the way, do you know how tall a building needs to be to be considered a skyscraper? To be considered a skyscraper, a building must be over 150 meters tall.
1947 – São Paulo, capital
The first skyscraper in the country was the Altino Arantes, with its 161 meters high, built in 1947 in the city of São Paulo. Inspired by the Empire States and known as the Banespa building, for a long time, it was the tallest building in the city of São Paulo.
Since then, many other skyscrapers have been built not only in São Paulo, but in several cities across the country. Currently, Brazil is the 16th country with the most skyscrapers in the world and the first in South America, with more than 62 buildings over 150 meters in height.
As of this article's publication date, there are another 77 skyscrapers under construction in the country, according to the Council On Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Pulverization
Despite its pioneering spirit, the largest metropolis in Latin America spent almost four decades without building buildings over 100 meters tall. One of the reasons was the fires that resulted in tragedies in the Andraus buildings, in 1972, and Joelma, in 1974, and inhibited the construction of tall buildings in the city.
Naturally, the scarcity of space and the need for verticalization in the real estate market, both residential and corporate, brought the need for skyscraper construction back to the fore. In addition, we are currently at a very different level in terms of fire prevention and firefighting protocols in buildings.
Proof that the scenario is changing is that this year the Platina 220 was inaugurated, a 172-meter building located in the Tatuapé district, opposite the shopping mall that bears the same name, in the East Zone of the capital. It is a mixed-use development, with shops on the ground floor, hotel and residential units in the lower third of the building, commercial complexes in the middle part and corporate floors in the upper part.
Even so, although the city of São Paulo has a large concentration of residential, commercial and office buildings, being the address with the largest number of buildings in the country, the tallest buildings in Brazil are not located in the capital of São Paulo. Only in the municipality of Balneário Camboriú, in Santa Catarina, are the top three in the ranking, which earned the city the nickname of ‘‘Brazilian Dubai’’.
See below the current ranking of the tallest buildings built in Brazil:
• One Tower - Balneário Camboriú, SC – 290 meters
The delivery of One Tower celebrates the emblematic meeting of a visionary idea with advanced technologies, marking the history of Brazilian civil construction. Imposing 290 meters high, the tallest residential building in Latin America is endorsed by the CTBUH, a recognized international organization that certifies skyscrapers around the world.
• Yachthouse Residence Club Torres 1 and 2 - Balneário Camboriú, SC – 281 meters
The Yachthouse Residence Club is a residential complex of high-end apartments, consisting of two twin towers. Each of the two towers is 281 meters high, with a total of 81 floors and 120,000 m² of built area.
• Infinity Coast Tower - Balneário Camboriú, SC – 234 meters
The facade in the form of a hang glider and the Infinity window give the Infinity Coast apartments a new loft style. The resort infrastructure complete the magnitude of the building that is among the tallest buildings in Brazil.
• Órion Business & Health Complex - Goiás, GO – 191 meters
After two years of study and 50 versions, the final format of Órion Business & Health Complex was conceived in the concept of mixed use. It is more than 190 meters high and has 50 levels, consisting of a Hospital, Commercial Tower, Hotel and Shopping Center and Gastronomic Center.
• Epic Tower - Balneário Camboriú, SC – 190 meters
In addition to the distinctive design and more than 2,000 m² of leisure area, the Epic Tower offers a privileged 180-degree view of the central beach of Balneário Camboriú.
After all, does size matter?
Jokes aside, being among the tallest buildings in the country is certainly a way to draw attention in a market as competitive as real estate, since the height of the building often refers to grandeur and superiority.
However, from an importance point of view, it takes more than that for a building to become iconic. To prove that size is not always important, we list some emblematic buildings that made history and, although not necessarily stand out for their height, are true architectural and cultural jewels of Brazil:
Congresso Nacional
Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, the building in the form of double domes is the seat of the legislative power of Brazil, in Brasília-DF, and an iconic example of modern architecture.
Palácio do Planalto
Home to the presidency of Brazil, this iconic building is part of Brasilia's architectural complex and is a symbol of the Brazilian government.
CCBB – Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
CCBB São Paulo occupies a building built in 1901 at Rua Álvares Penteado, 112, on the corner of Rua da Quitanda. Located in the historic heart of the city, on a pedestrian street, it was inaugurated on April 21, 2001.
Farol Santander
Built in 1940, the building with more than 30 floors and 161 meters high, was designed in 1939 by Plínio Botelho do Amaral and built by Camargo & Mesquita, with a work that took eight years until it was inaugurated on June 27, 1947.
Bolsa de Valores
The headquarters of B3 is a building from the 1940s, built in neoclassical style, in the center of São Paulo. Sophisticated, the building has Italian marble on its stairs, works of art, classic furniture, a library and two auditoriums.
Edifício Copan
The Copan is one of the most important and emblematic buildings in the city of São Paulo, located at number 200 on Avenida Ipiranga, in the center of the city, it was inaugurated in 1966. It is one of the symbols of modern Brazilian architecture, conceived by the architect Oscar Niemeyer with a project engineer Joaquim Cardozo, aiming at the commemorations of the Fourth Centenary of the city of São Paulo.
Edifício Itália
Inaugurated in 1965, the Edifício Itália, whose official name is Circolo Italiano, located at Avenida Ipiranga, number 344, in the center of São Paulo, is currently one of the city’s landmarks, protected by the Historical Heritage for being one of the greatest examples of vertical architecture Brazilian.
Edifício Matarazzo
The Matarazzo Building, also known as Palácio do Anhangabaú, has been the headquarters of the city of São Paulo since 2004. As it previously belonged to Banco Banespa, it is nicknamed Banespinha. It is located in Vale do Anhangabaú, in the center of the city, next to Viaduto do Chá.
Caixa Cultural
Caixa Cultural São Paulo was installed in the Sé Building, the bank's former regional headquarters, in 1989. The unit holds various objects and documents related to the history of the bank and the Brazilian financial system, as well as internal spaces with period ambiance and preserved original elements . There are different exhibition spaces, a reading room, a workshop room and an auditorium.
Rio Sul Center
One of the first skyscrapers in the city of Rio de Janeiro, located near the Botafogo bay, this building is a symbol of modern architecture in Rio. It was designed by architects Ulysses Burlamaqui and Alexandre Chan.
