The Copan Building
Curve, concrete, city.
More than architecture: a piece of São Paulo that has been pulsing for over 60 years, with 1,160 apartments, its own ZIP code and people from everywhere.
The icon
A building that's also a landmark
The Copan Building, in the heart of São Paulo, is more than a striking piece of architecture: it's a landmark that draws visitors from around the world. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, it's an icon of Brazilian modernism and a fundamental piece of the city skyline. With 115 meters of height, 32 floors, 120,000 m² of built area and six blocks, it houses 1,160 apartments of varied sizes. Families who have been here for over 40 years share walls with young people living alone for the first time. A diverse, plural space, full of faces.
Timeline
A curve that became a symbol
The story begins in the 1950s, when São Paulo was going through intense real estate growth downtown. Conceived to honor the city on its 400th anniversary, the project was commissioned by the Pan-American Hotel and Tourism Company — hence the name Copan, an abbreviation of the company.
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer with Carlos Alberto Cerqueira Lemos, it originally planned a 30-floor residential building plus another with 600 apartments for a hotel. Only the residential building was built, with the apartment count redesigned from 900 to 1,160 across six blocks. Copan also features a 72-shop gallery on the ground floor and a now-deactivated cinema, the old Cine Copan.
Construction was handled by the Companhia Nacional da Indústria da Construção (CNI). After financial trouble — including federal intervention in the Banco Nacional Imobiliário and the bankruptcy of Roxo Loureiro, the original developer — work was interrupted several times. In 1957, Banco Bradesco bought the construction rights and finished the project in 1961.
Numbers
Copan in numbers
Project peculiarities
Details that became legend.
Copan's architectural diversity earned the building the Guinness Book title of largest residential apartment complex in Latin America.
Another project highlight: the horizontal brises on the façade, providing solar protection and thermal comfort across all floors — and becoming the building's visual signature.
Copan is so big it has its own ZIP code (01046-925). It's considered a vertical city in the heart of São Paulo.
“It's not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard, inflexible… what attracts me is a free and sensual curve.”
Vertical city
A place that has to be seen from the inside
Copan isn't just architecture. It carries a piece of São Paulo's history and culture. Visitors can learn about Niemeyer's vision, the construction's challenges and the building's evolution across decades. The internal corridors host a vibrant community and businesses — shops, cafés, restaurants, tailors, used bookstores. It's also home to cultural events, exhibitions and artistic activities. Staying here means experiencing Copan from a resident's perspective.
The 6 blocks
Each block, its own identity.
Copan is a single building, but six blocks. Each one has its own height, view and atmosphere. Before booking, it's worth getting to know where you'll sleep.
Block A
1-bedroom apartments at 90m².
DiscoverBlock B
20 studios per floor — the soul of Copan.
DiscoverBlock C
Spacious 180m² apartments.
DiscoverBlock D
The largest apartments at Copan — 240m².
DiscoverBlock E
The best sunsets at Copan.
DiscoverBlock F
The other sunset paradise at Copan.
DiscoverThe architect
Oscar Niemeyer (1907–2012)
Brazilian architect of worldwide influence. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in 1934. His career was marked by collaboration with urbanist Lúcio Costa and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx.
Known for his revolutionary approach — organic forms, fluid curves, bold structures — Niemeyer was a leading figure of the Modern Movement. His career took off in the 1940s when Juscelino Kubitschek invited him to design Brasília. He also designed the Pampulha complex (Belo Horizonte), collaborated with Le Corbusier on the UN headquarters in New York, and received the Pritzker Prize in 1988.
The Copan, in downtown São Paulo, is one of his most emblematic projects. Its sinuous form and striking curves are the architect's unmistakable signature.