Do you know the history of the São Vito Building? Better known as “Treme-Treme”, the building earned the controversial nickname of “vertical favela” because it housed around 3,000 residents and was the scene of fear and abandonment in central São Paulo.
What was supposed to be a solution to the city’s housing crisis has become a 27-storey tenement , located at 3170 Avenida do Estado, in Parque Dom Pedro II. There are those who say that with the movement of trucks in the area, the building used to sway, and with that came the nickname that marked its existence.
The history of the Treme-Treme
Built in the 1950s, the São Vito Building was designed to be a modern proposal in the middle of the city of São Paulo. The controversial Treme-Treme consisted of more than 600 apartments of 30m² each, ideal for young singles and couples, much like the studios that are sold in the city today. In addition, the location was notable for having many leisure options in the area.
Problems arose around the 1970s with the lack of maintenance on the site, which caused it to deteriorate. In addition, the residents themselves compromised the structure of the building by altering the floor plans inappropriately to accommodate even more residents. At the most critical moment, it is estimated that Treme-Treme housed 10 people per unit.
Inside, however, the building was home to entire families, neighbors who became friends and parties in the hallways. For many residents, living in one of these apartments was the only way to live close to work, school and the center of São Paulo.
The other side of the São Vito Building
The disconnection of the water supply, improvised electrical installations (better known as “gatos”) and the suspension of garbage collection were the “final blow” to São Vito’s decline. All of this led to the image we know today: a dark, overcrowded, unsafe and high-crime place.
In its last years of existence, the controversial Treme-Treme was expropriated with the promise of renovation and return to the residents. Seven years later, in 2011, the City Council opted for the total demolition of the structure, done manually so as not to damage neighboring buildings.
The site is currently temporarily closed for the construction of the definitive Sesc Parque Dom Pedro II unit.