Anyone who sees Avenida Paulista today, full of glass and concrete towers, can’t imagine how different it used to be. Until the mid-20th century, Paulista was one of São Paulo’s most elegant thoroughfares, with dozens of palaces of majestic and sophisticated architecture.
The properties belonged to families of São Paulo’s elite who built real works of art to serve as their homes. With the modernization of the city, however, many of the palaces fell into disrepair – some even at the behest of the owners themselves. Get to know them below!
Palacetes in São Paulo: what did the demolished buildings on Avenida Paulista look like?
Moorish house of D. Josephina Lotaif
Built in 1896, the palace drew attention for its unique architecture, with beautiful towers and arabesques inspired by Arab culture. It survived until 1982, when the rumor of a possible listing reached the ears of the owner, Josephina Lotaif.
Her family hired a company to demolish the building at dawn, as quickly as possible, before the police arrived. The Lotaifs then sold the land for modern developments. For many years the site housed a parking lot, until they built the commercial building we have today.
📍 Avenida Paulista, 867
Palace of the Elias Calfat and José Tomaselli families
The palaces were neighbors on Avenida Paulista and served as homes for the Calfat and Tomaselli families, of Arab and Italian origin respectively. Both fell to the ground to make way for the headquarters of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), which reinforced the business vocation of the new Paulista.
📍 542/548 Paulista Avenue
Assad Abdalla Palace
With its elegant and grandiose façade, the palace was sold and demolished in the 1980s, and its history fell into oblivion with the rapid growth of Avenida Paulista. The address, which is next to MASP, now houses the Paulista Corporate Building – which is not at all reminiscent of the pompous architecture of its predecessor.
📍 Avenida Paulista, 1636
House of the Moritz Rothschild family
In 1910, a beautiful mansion stood at the intersection of Paulista and Rua Consolação, owned by the German Moritz Rothschild. The family lived there until the 1980s, when it was torn down to make way for a parking lot. Shortly afterwards, the land was expropriated for subway works, eventually giving way to the Consolação station.
📍 Avenida Paulista, 2455
Palace of the Nagib Salem family
Finally, we bring you one of the most elegant (and expensive) palaces in São Paulo. The Salem family mansion was built in 1920 and was an example of refinement at the time. Its large halls hosted parties with political authorities and celebrities, and it was a meeting place for São Paulo’s elite.
But unfortunately, the palace only lasted a few years on Avenida Paulista. In 1970, after Nagib Salem’s death, the family decided to sell the property to the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP), which was to build its headquarters there. The initial proposal was to erect the building at the back of the plot, thus preserving the mansion.
The Salem family and the FIESP board went to the authorities to ask for the palace to be listed as an icon of São Paulo architecture. The request, however, was denied. The beautiful building was then demolished to make way for the famous famous pyramidal building on the avenue.
📍 Avenida Paulista, 1313
