Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima
Encyclopedia
Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, most commonly known as just Faria Lima, is an important avenue in the city of São Paulo
, Brazil
. It is also an important commercial and financial center that rivals the downtown and Paulista Avenue areas. It spans the upscale Pinheiros
, Jardim Paulistano, Itaim Bibi
and Vila Olímpia
neighborhoods.
, it would receive his name two years later, after his death.
By 1970, the construction of several high-rise commercial buildings was started, tearing through the middle of the large residential area that had been there before. The large skyscraper
s that started to rise above the Jardins prompted it to be called the "Second Paulista."
In the 1990s, then mayor Paulo Maluf
devised a plan to extend the avenue in both directions, to the north between Largo da Batata and Pedroso de Moraes Avenue in Pinheiros, and to the south between Cidade Jardim Avenue in Jardim Paulistano and Hélio Pellegrino Avenue in Vila Olímpia. This was done by widening a small residential road in Itaim Bibi. The project was controversial because it would displace many citizens, and it was argued that the rapid expansion of the city would make it only a temporary solution to the growing traffic problems, but it was carried out and opened in the late 1990s.
Actually there are plans to extend the avenue to the Avenida dos Bandeirantes, in a little trail.
The avenue itself and its surroundings have a prominent nightlife, with numerous bars and night clubs. The area also has other important city landmarks, such as Eldorado Shopping Center, and many elegant restaurants and hotels.
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is also an important commercial and financial center that rivals the downtown and Paulista Avenue areas. It spans the upscale Pinheiros
Pinheiros
Pinheiros is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subtropical species of pine, Araucaria angustifolia, which is also the symbol of...
, Jardim Paulistano, Itaim Bibi
Itaim Bibi
Itaim Bibi is a district in the subprefecture of Pinheiros in the city of São Paulo, Brazil....
and Vila Olímpia
Vila Olímpia
The Vila Olímpia is an upper class neighborhood in the city of Sao Paulo, capital of the state of Sao Paulo, in the district of Itaim Bibi....
neighborhoods.
History
Avenida Faria Lima was built in the late 1960s, with an initial stretch lying between Rua Iguatemi, in the Itaim Bibi district, and Largo da Batata ("Potato Square"), in the neighborhood of Pinheiros, crossing the Jardins region of the city. Initiated in 1967 by São Paulo's then mayor, Brevet Brigadier José Vicente Faria LimaJosé Vicente Faria Lima
José Vicente de Faria Lima was a Brazilian military engineer and later politician.-Biography:Lima was born in Rio de Janeiro....
, it would receive his name two years later, after his death.
By 1970, the construction of several high-rise commercial buildings was started, tearing through the middle of the large residential area that had been there before. The large skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s that started to rise above the Jardins prompted it to be called the "Second Paulista."
In the 1990s, then mayor Paulo Maluf
Paulo Maluf
Paulo Salim Maluf is a Brazilian politician with a career spanning over four decades and many functions, including those of State Governor of São Paulo, Mayor of the City of São Paulo, Congressman and Presidential candidate. As of 2011, Maluf is on a second consecutive term as Federal Deputy...
devised a plan to extend the avenue in both directions, to the north between Largo da Batata and Pedroso de Moraes Avenue in Pinheiros, and to the south between Cidade Jardim Avenue in Jardim Paulistano and Hélio Pellegrino Avenue in Vila Olímpia. This was done by widening a small residential road in Itaim Bibi. The project was controversial because it would displace many citizens, and it was argued that the rapid expansion of the city would make it only a temporary solution to the growing traffic problems, but it was carried out and opened in the late 1990s.
Actually there are plans to extend the avenue to the Avenida dos Bandeirantes, in a little trail.
Landmarks
On Faria Lima Avenue, there are many popular and important places that attract locals (Paulistanos) and visitors alike, such as:- Iguatemi São PauloIguatemi São PauloThe Iguatemi São Paulo shopping centre is the oldest Brazilian mall in operation. Located in the Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue, in the Jardins neighbourhood, the shopping mall was opened in November 1966. Some organizations say that Iguatemi São Paulo is the first shopping mall to be opened in...
Shopping Center - the first shopping mallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
built in the city and in Brazil, opened in 1966. It is among the most luxurious in the country. - Museum of the Brazilian Home (PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Museu da Casa Brasileira) - a museum for Brazilian and international architectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and interior designInterior designInterior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
. - Pinheiros Sport Club - one of the oldest sport clubs in the city, it contains large open fields and many recreational facilities in the heart of the city.
- Dacon Building - with its cylindricalCylinder (geometry)A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
design, it is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in São Paulo.
The avenue itself and its surroundings have a prominent nightlife, with numerous bars and night clubs. The area also has other important city landmarks, such as Eldorado Shopping Center, and many elegant restaurants and hotels.
External links
- Shopping Center Iguatemi São Paulo (in Portuguese)
- Museu da Casa Brasileira (in Portuguese)
- Esporte Clube Pinheiros (in Portuguese)