Collective housing and urban space in São Paulo: Prudência Building

Abstract

The decades of 1920, 1930 and 1940 characterize the process of experimentation of verticalization in the city of São Paulo. The adherence to apartment buildings became high due to the profitability of the larger number of units in a same area, which led to spatial and social transformation in the city (VILLA, 2004). The studied building is inserted in the period in which Higienópolis begins to transform its characteristic of a neighborhood of mansions and configures itself as a neighborhood of verticalized housing (HOMEM, 1980). During this time, a way of life was established which would act intensely after 1950, leading to vertical expansion and to the loss of residential exclusivity. The objective of this research is to identify the spatial patterns (understood as the relationship between architecture and city) in the project of the Prudência Building, built in 1948. In this sense, this research proposes: a) spatial analysis of the typologies; b) the relationship of these typologies with the existing city; c) the transformation of these spaces of habitat in the development of the city; d) the reception and incorporation of these alternatives to discipline and e) the consolidation of the documents of these projects for future research. This project continues a wider research, supported by FAPESP (n. 2013/14951-7), coordinated by the professors Luiz Recamán and Leandro Medrano from history of architecture department (AUH - FAUUSP), dedicated to the study of some housing projects built in metropolitan area of São Paulo. At this new stage, the project includes the participation of professors Helena Ayoub, Marta Bogéa and Milton Braga, from project department (AUP - FAUUSP). (AU)