Revitalizing History: Alexandre Allard’s Ambitious Vision for São Paulo’s Cidade Matarazzo
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- on Feb 18, 2024
Alexandre Allard is a French entrepreneur and real estate developer known for taking on ambitious historic restoration projects. His biggest endeavor yet is the redevelopment of Cidade Matarazzo, a complex of historic buildings spanning multiple city blocks in the heart of São Paulo, Brazil.
The Cidade Matarazzo site dates back to the early 20th century when Italian count Francisco Matarazzo constructed an industrial complex that included factories, workers’ residences, a hospital, and more. After falling into disrepair and neglect in the late 1900s, Allard purchased the multi-building campus in 2004 with grand plans to restore and revitalize it.
Allard envisions transforming Cidade Matarazzo into a vibrant cultural destination infused with luxury hospitality, upscale retail, galleries, event spaces, and more. His stated goals for the project highlight restoring original historic architectural elements, revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood, creating jobs, and establishing both an economic and cultural legacy in São Paulo. With meticulous attention to design and historic preservation, Allard aims to turn Cidade Matarazzo into one of the city’s premier lifestyle and hospitality landmarks.
Allard’s Ambitious Goals
When French entrepreneur Alexandre Allard purchased the abandoned former Matarazzo hospital complex in São Paulo in 2012, he envisioned transforming the historic site into a vibrant cultural destination. Allard aimed to restore the dilapidated buildings into a lush urban oasis featuring a luxury hotel, high-end restaurants, shops, co-working spaces, cultural centers, and event venues.
His ambitious plans called for painstakingly restoring the original Neoclassical, Art Deco, and Bauhaus architectural elements of the property. This included revitalizing the main hospital building into a 5-star hotel with rooftop pools, cleaning up the adjacent Trianon Park, and converting other structures into stylish restaurants, bars, and creative hubs.
Overall, Allard sought to turn the rundown 14-acre Cidade Matarazzo complex into São Paulo’s premier lifestyle and cultural hotspot – a sustainable place where people could live, work, dine, and enjoy entertainment and the arts. With an estimated project cost of $250 million, the massive redevelopment represents one of the largest historic restoration efforts ever undertaken in Brazil.
Restoring Historic Elements
The Cidade Matarazzo complex contains a number of historic buildings and architectural elements dating back to the early 20th century that showcase the site’s rich history. The main building at the heart of the complex is the Matarazzo Maternity Hospital, originally opened in 1904 as one of São Paulo’s first maternity hospitals. Designed in a neoclassical style by Italian architect Angelo Pascale, the historic hospital building features a dramatic domed entryway flanked by towering ionic columns.
Beyond the maternity hospital, several other preserved historic buildings contribute to the unique character of Cidade Matarazzo. These include the Casa de Retiros e Exercícios Espirituais, a colonial-style retreat house built in 1922, as well as the Capela de Santa Cruz church originally constructed in the 1940s. Several smaller buildings from the first half of the 20th century have also been incorporated into the revitalized complex.
As part of his ambitious restoration project, Alexandre Allard has committed to preserving the historic integrity of these existing buildings while updating them to accommodate modern needs. This has involved extensive restoration work on original architecture, including repairing facades, windows, and interiors to highlight historic design elements. For example, the intricate mosaic tile floors and ornate crown molding of the maternity hospital were carefully restored. Historic preservation consultants were brought in to ensure the proper techniques were used.
However, some compromises have been required to allow the site to function as a modern luxury hotel and cultural complex. Certain historic interiors were reconfigured or updated to allow for guest rooms, restaurants, and event spaces. New additions blending contemporary and classic design were also constructed to complement the historic buildings. Care was taken to retain the overall historic ambiance and adaptively reuse structures rather than demolishing them. Still, some preservation advocates argue Allard’s renovations verge on over-commercialization at the expense of architectural legacy.
Revitalizing the Neighborhood
The neighborhood surrounding Cidade Matarazzo had fallen into disrepair and neglect before Allard’s project began. Many historic buildings sat abandoned or converted into parking lots. Drug use and homelessness were common on the streets. Long-time residents lamented the loss of the area’s former vibrancy and charm.
Allard aims to revitalize the entire district with his ambitious development plans. He seeks to restore the historic architecture, bring in new businesses, create jobs, build affordable housing, and establish cultural centers. Allard believes that uplifting Cidade Matarazzo can have a positive ripple effect throughout the area.
Reactions from local residents and businesses have been mixed. Some welcome the investment and opportunity. Others worry about gentrification displacing current residents. Some believe Allard’s plans are too grandiose and unlikely to fully materialize. However, there is a shared hope that the project can restore some of the neighborhood’s lost vitality. If Allard lives up to his promises for affordable housing and cultural facilities, the project could greatly benefit the district.
Social & Cultural Goals
Alexandre Allard envisioned Cidade Matarazzo as more than just restored buildings – he wanted to create an inclusive and vibrant social and cultural hub in the heart of São Paulo. His ambitious plans focused on transforming the area into a community gathering space with free public events, concerts, markets, art installations and exhibits.
At the project’s core is Allard’s vision of an open, accessible urban space where people of all backgrounds can come together. The historic site aims to be a platform for local arts, culture and gastronomy, hosting festivals, concerts, food events and more. Spaces like the planned cultural centers, performance venues and outdoor public areas will enable a diverse mix of programming that represents Brazil’s many cultures and traditions.
Allard sees Cidade Matarazzo as a way to democratize culture and creativity in São Paulo, providing opportunities for young artists, musicians and chefs to develop and share their talents. The renewal project represents his goal of fostering an inclusive, resilient community connected by the arts. By transforming the area into a vibrant cultural hub, Allard hopes to create a unique urban space where creativity and Brazilian heritage are celebrated.
Implementation Timeline
The restoration and redevelopment of Cidade Matarazzo is a massive undertaking that will take place over several years. Though plans were initially approved in 2014, work did not begin in earnest until 2017.
The first phase of construction focused on restoring the historic hospital building and transforming it into a luxury hotel. This involved both restoring original architectural elements and incorporating modern amenities and technology. The Rosewood Hotel opened in 2018 with more than 140 guest rooms, multiple restaurants, spa facilities, and event spaces while retaining the building’s historic charm.
The next major phase will be developing the commercial and cultural aspects of Cidade Matarazzo. Renovations on Helio Pellegrino Square to create an open-air shopping area are targeted for completion by late mid 2024. Additionally, plans are in place to open museums, art galleries, co-working spaces, and other attractions over the next 3-5 years.
The most ambitious goal is to complete the entire Cidade Matarazzo project by 2025. This would include all planned residential, corporate, cultural, and community spaces totaling over 100,000 square meters of restored and reimagined development. While delays are always possible on large redevelopment projects, Allard seems committed to realizing his vision on an aggressive timeline.
The opening of Rosewood Hotel marked a major milestone, but there is still much work ahead to fully transform São Paulo’s Cidade Matarazzo district into Allard’s imagined cultural and lifestyle destination. The next few years will be crucial as additional phases are completed and new amenities come online to revitalize this historic neighborhood.
With a carefully planned development timeline stretching over a decade, Cidade Matarazzo has the potential to achieve Allard’s ambitious vision. But it will require continued engagement with local residents, sustained investment, and patience to see the project through to full fruition. If Allard and his team can maintain their commitment over the long term, Cidade Matarazzo could profoundly reshape São Paulo’s urban landscape for the better.