Edifício Itália and Edifício Copan are two iconic skyscrapers in São Paulo, Brazil, which together embody the city's diversity and modernist ambition.
With its clean, functional lines and a height of 165 metres, Edifício Itália is one of São Paulo's tallest buildings.
Completed in 1965, it was designed by Brazilian architect Franz Heep, who was influenced by European modernist principles.
The building, a slender tower with a concrete grid structure, houses offices, cultural institutions and the famous Terraco Itália restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the sprawling city.
Edifício Itália exudes a formal elegance and symbolises São Paulo's economic boom in the second half of the 20th century.
In contrast to the sleek vertical lines of Edifício Itália, Edifício Copan presents itself as an undulating concrete giant.
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and completed in 1966, this iconic building embodies the sensuality and dynamism of Brazilian modernist architecture.
With its organic S-shape and horizontal rhythm, it captures the movement and energy of São Paulo's vibrant urban landscape.
Copan is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a microcosm of the city: it contains more than 1,000 flats, shops and offices, making it one of the largest residential buildings in the world.
It symbolises São Paulo's social mix and vibrancy, where different social classes and lifestyles come together within one architectural structure.
In their own way, both buildings represent modernism in São Paulo: Edifício Itália as a stately beacon of formal architecture and Edifício Copan as a playful, organic interpretation of modern living in a megacity.
Together, they tell the story of a city constantly renewing itself and continuing to redefine its identity between tradition and modernity.
In 2019, Wilschut previously took Edifício Copan as a subject in the work ‘Context’.