Ensinando a morar: o Edifício Esther e os embates pela habitação vertical em São Paulo (1930-1962)

Abstract

The São Paulo city is known, nowadays, like a city of high rises. But, it is a reflex of the action of many engineers and architects, which projected a lot of skyscrapers and apartment buildings, in the XX century and, also, by the discussion into others professional's categories preoccupied with this new way of life. This article focuses one of the most important buildings of the São Paulo city: the Esther Building. This building, projected by the architects Vital Brazil and Adhemar Marinho for the Nogueira's family - owner of one traditional sugar mill -, introduced new conceptions of architecture in the city, like the International Style, but introduced, too, many normative parameters of the domestic life for the buildings inhabitants. These parameters were disseminated by the action of the Esther Praedial Society, firm linked to the building entrepreneurs. In this manner, the article shows the importance of the Esther Building for the consolidation of the Apartment Building in that city in XX century.