Edifício Martinelli

Edifício Martinelli, on Avenida São João in the Centro district, was São Paulo's first skyscraper and, on completion, the tallest building in Latin America. It was commissioned by Giuseppe Martinelli, an Italian immigrant who had built a fortune in construction and real estate, and built in stages between 1922 and 1929, eventually reaching 30 floors and around 105 meters including its rooftop structures. The design mixes eclectic European revival styles common in early-20th-century São Paulo, with a base of heavy classical detailing giving way to a more ornate upper section, culminating in a rooftop that Martinelli himself used as a private residence, complete with a garden, small orchard, and a chalet-style structure that drew public curiosity at the time. The building was financed largely on credit and left Martinelli in serious debt; he eventually sold the tower to cover losses, and it later passed through periods of neglect before restoration efforts in the late 20th century returned public access to its upper floors. Today the rooftop functions as a viewing terrace reached only by guided tour, offering views over the historic center that were, for decades after construction, the highest vantage point available in the city.