Attraction
MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo
São Paulo's best-known art museum, raised above Avenida Paulista on Lina Bo Bardi's suspended concrete structure and holding more than 8,000 works from Raphael to Portinari.
Farol Santander
A cultural centre in the 1947 Altino Arantes skyscraper, the former Banespa headquarters, with exhibitions and an observation deck looking out up to 40 kilometres.
At a glance
- Type
- Observation deck and cultural centre
- Area
- Centro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Monday)
- Official site
- farolsantander.com.br
Good to know
- Observation deck
- Exhibitions
- Banespa Museum
- Skate track
Why we recommend it
The Farol Santander occupies the Edifício Altino Arantes, the skyscraper that for decades was the headquarters of the Banco do Estado de São Paulo, or Banespa, and is still known to many locals as the Banespão. Designed by Plínio Botelho do Amaral, with the contractor Camargo & Mesquita adapting the plans, it was built from 1939 and inaugurated on 27 June 1947. Its design drew inspiration from the Empire State Building. The tower is 161 metres tall with 35 floors and was named after the bank's first president in the 1960s.
Santander bought Banespa in 2000, closed the building in 2015 for an internal renovation and reopened it on 26 January 2018 as the Farol Santander, which describes itself as a centre for culture, tourism, leisure and food. The building hosts exhibitions and keeps the Banespa Museum, which tells the story of the bank, founded in 1909. There is even a skate track inside, one of the more unusual features of any cultural centre in the city.
The highlight for most visitors is the observation deck at the top. From the 33rd floor you climb two flights of stairs to the viewpoint, where on a clear day you can see up to 40 kilometres across the city. Time at the very top is limited to around five minutes per visitor, so take your photographs quickly. The tower stands among some of the centre's best-known landmarks, including the Mosteiro de São Bento, the Martinelli building and the Mercado Municipal, so the deck is a good way to get your bearings. Because of the stairs, check access with the venue if you have limited mobility.
The Farol Santander is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and on Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00. Choose a clear day, as haze limits the view. Allow about 90 minutes to see the deck and a couple of exhibitions.
The building is close to São Bento metro station and sits in the historic centre, so it fits well with the Mosteiro de São Bento, the Catedral da Sé and the Pátio do Colégio. It suits first-time visitors who want an overview of the city's scale before exploring it at street level.
Farol Santander FAQs
When is the Farol Santander open?
Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00.
How high is the observation deck?
It sits at the top of the 161-metre Altino Arantes building, reached by stairs from the 33rd floor.
How far can you see?
On a clear day the view reaches up to 40 kilometres.
How long can you stay at the top?
Visitors get about five minutes on the highest viewpoint.
What else is inside?
Exhibitions, the Banespa Museum about the bank's history and an indoor skate track.
Is it accessible?
The final part of the climb to the viewpoint is by stairs, so check access with the venue if you have limited mobility.
Which metro station is nearest?
São Bento station is the nearest metro stop.
What is the building's history?
It was built from 1939 to 1947 as the headquarters of the Banespa bank and reopened as the Farol Santander in 2018.