Edifício Martinelli

Edifício Martinelli is a historic skyscraper on Rua São Bento in Centro Histórico, São Paulo. Designed by Vilmos Fillinger for businessman Giuseppe Martinelli, it was built from 1924 and opened in part in 1929, initially with 12 floors. The tower eventually reached 30 storeys and 105 metres, making it São Paulo’s first skyscraper. Martinelli also had a rooftop residence built for his family.

The building accommodated a hotel, a cinema, restaurants, political parties and press offices, alongside clubs and nightclubs. After the Martinelli family left, part of the rooftop residence became the Night and Day nightclub. Club 220 held black-music dance parties there during the 1960s and 1970s. Expropriated by the city, the building underwent a major refurbishment between 1975 and 1979 for municipal offices and ground-floor shops. Its façades and overall form received heritage protection from the 1980s.

The rooftop was restored in 2008, opened for public visits in 2010 and closed for improvements in early 2017. A city concession to Grupo Tokyo was signed in 2023, covering floors 25 to 28 and a ground-floor space. Following a reopening for events in March 2024, the rooftop hosted electronic music, house, disco, samba and rap; DJ Marky has played there. The M100 cultural project marked the centenary of construction with activities including dance and music. Free guided visits resumed in August 2025 through the city’s Vai de Roteiro programme.