Did you know that Brazil’s first dedicated concert venue is in our city? Located in Campos Elíseos, the magnificent Sala São Paulo has been delighting crowds since its inauguration in 1999.
However, what very few people know is that,before that, the venue functioned solely as a train station. Curious, isn’t it? So, find out about the history of one of the coolest spaces in São Paulo from the very beginning.
Sala São Paulo’s past as a train station
Júlio Prestes Station was built between 1926 and 1938. It became the starting point for the Sorocabana Railroad, a company that used trains to transport coffee to the Port of Santos.
With its eclectic architecture, the 25,000m2 station was designed by Cristiano Stockler das Neves. The designer also drew a lot of inspiration from the baroque and neoclassical styles and took references from stations in Pennsylvania and New York in the United States.
Its completion took place at the end of the 1930s, when cars and buses were already circulating in São Paulo, which caused a decline in the use of trains. After all, during this period, the population began to prefer faster means of transportation with fewer failures and delays. That’s why it was abandoned after a few decades.
A new direction
In the 1990s, at the request of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, then governor Mário Covas decided to create a concert hall inside the station. The place chosen for the novelty was the French winter garden, which occupied part of the structure.
Thus, in 1997, an intense restoration of the building began , led by Nelson Dupré. To ensure the room was insulated and acoustically treated, the architect sought inspiration from other auditoriums in North America and Europe. There, he also took references for the structural composition of the building, including stage models, support areas and accesses.
Among various consultations, it was suggested that a movable ceiling be installed as a way of ensuring the acoustic flexibility of the Sala São Paulo. The item, which can rise to a maximum height of 25 meters above the main floor, is one of the venue’s main differentials.
Two years of work later, Sala São Paulo finally opened its doors on July 9, 1999, with a capacity for almost 1,500 spectators.
For the premiere of Brazil’s first concert hall, the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra appealed to symbolism by playing Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection”.
📍Júlio Prestes Square, 16 – Campos Elíseos