Have you ever visited the headquarters of Livraria Cultura at Conjunto Nacional? The place has established itself as a enchanting cultural space in the middle of Avenida Paulista and was a Paulistano icon because of its size, architecture and variety of books. But last month, the retailer Magazine Luiza announced that it will open a concept store where the bookshop used to operate, with no opening date yet.
The news came as a surprise to many São Paulo residents, who had used Cultura as a meeting place on São Paulo’s most beloved avenue. Now, the retailer will bring together all the group’s brands in the huge space. They are: Magazine Luiza, Netshoes, KaBuM! and Época Cosméticos.
Understand the reasons for the closure
The Livraria Cultura do Conjunto Nacional closed its doors in April this year. According to G1, the reason was a large rent debt of R$ 15 million, and it went into receivership. Thus, after years of cultural occupation, the space will become one of the retail giant’s headquarters.
Now, Cultura intends to open a new unit in Higienópolis, in a historic mansion. Continuing its legacy of bringing iconic places to life in the city. Following the closure of Conjunto Nacional, they also announced the opening of a unit in Pinheiros.
What will happen to the Eva Hertz Theater?
One of the major concerns after the retail group’s announcement was about the permanence of the Eva Hertz Theater, a cultural space with a diverse program that has been operating for almost 15 years. According to Magazine Luiza, the cultural spaces in the complex will be maintained, preserving the historical importance of the venue.
So we can expect the theater to be part of the megastore and, even with the change of space, there will still be cultural activities taking place there.
