Banco Real Santander Headquarters, JK Iguatemi Mall + WTorre Plaza

The Banco Santander Headquarters Tower is the first phase of the WTorre JK Complex, a mixed-use development located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Arquitectonica designed the building facade and interiors for a 973,400 SF existing structure to be fitted out as an office tower, including floor plan layouts and interior design of lobbies and a common area. This phase also includes the construction of 6 levels of underground parking, bringing the project total to 1,770,000 SF (164,340 SM).

In the heart of the metropolis’s financial district, the complex changed the landscape of the Itaim Bibi’s region – São Paulo’s traditional most expensive real state per square meter. Neighboring the property is a public park, which was donated to the city by the construction company. The building was originally designed as the headquarters for the State Energy Company Eletropaulo but was abandoned after the concrete structure was completed. The 28-story structure was known for more than ten years as “the skeleton”, an ugly spot that remained on one of the most visible sites in Sao Paulo. The new design, composed of a glass tower with a single recess on each facade, creates the illusion of four slender glass buildings. The buildings differentiate from the busy Sao Paulo skyline by the simple elegance of the design, with vertical banding that seems to reach toward the sky. Phase two of the project involved a 5-star hotel and a new retail/entertainment center, as well as additional office space.