This Friday (31), the municipality of Rio acquired the “A Noite” Building, located in Praça Mauá, in the central region of the capital, for R$ 28.9 million, after several unsuccessful attempts at negotiation between the federal government and the private initiative. The objective of the City Hall, initially, is to negotiate the property with the private sector.
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The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes (PSD), said that the historic building could house a hotel or residential project. The building, where Rádio Nacional operated, is an icon of the city. In 2013, the property was listed by the Institute of Artistic and National Historical Heritage (Iphan).
“The City Hall is able to negotiate better with the private sector, our desire is to have a residential project or a hotel here. We understand that it is a stimulus that we are giving to the city center. The role of the City Hall is to create the infrastructure, and that we already have here , we are in front of the sea, with this incredible view of Guanabara Bay”, said Paes.
The first skyscraper in Latin America has already been valued at R$90 million. After four sales attempts by the federal government between 2021 and 2022, the Secretariat for Coordination and Governance of the Union’s Heritage (SPU) made the building available on the market for the fifth time.
Last year, the mayor announced that he would buy it if there was no proposal. As the private proposals did not come, days before the deadline established for bids, the City Hall of Rio filed for the acquisition of “A Noite”. The expectation of the municipal authorities is that the purchase will have an impact on the revitalization of the central region of the city.
History
The “A Noite” Building was inaugurated on September 7, 1929. The building’s project was developed by the architect Joseph Gire in partnership with Elisiário da Cunha Bahiana. Gire’s signature can be seen in other buildings in the Rio landscape, such as the Palácio das Laranjeiras, the Hotel Glória and the Copacabana Palace Hotel.
According to Iphan’s opinion, the building is emblematic both for its structural and architectural aspect, and for its cultural significance.
Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) occupied the building until 2012. In other times, names such as singers Emilinha and Marlene, as well as other great artists of Brazilian popular music, such as Dalva de Oliveira, Luiz Gonzaga, Cauby Peixoto, passed through the building’s corridors. and Elizeth Cardoso.
It was in 1940, due to debts with the Federal Government, that the building became the property of the Union.
Source: BdF Rio de Janeiro
Editing: Clivia Mesquita
