Façades of an Iconic Building in Sao Paulo, Brazil: Assessment for Restoration Design

Regarded as an iconic symbol of modern architecture in Sao Paulo - Brazil, the Copan Building is a meaningful example. On recent years this building started to show some quality unconformities due to its age and deterioration of construction materials. The building’s massive facades are mainly covered by white and gray mosaic tiles, partially including the remarkable brises-soleil. Due to their large extension and lack of conservation plans, the facades had not received preventive maintenance and cleaning care for decades. Over the last few years, pathological signs showed up, like peeling of the ceramic tiling due to the lack of movement joints and deterioration of the plaster mortar, amongst other factors This study presents the applied methods for documentation of building construction data, such as materials and construction techniques, original and restoration projects, aiming to develop a continuous and systematic process of organization and knowledge production.