EdifícioDocasdeSantos(currentheadquartersofIPHAN-RJ)

The history of the Edifício Docas de Santos is intertwined with that of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. It is a landmark of the urban transformations experienced by the Federal Capital in the 1900s, and one of the few survivors among the more than 80 buildings erected on Avenida Central (present-day Rio Branco), a venture that, like no other, represented the Rio belle époque.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a historic building. The image shows a classical facade with many architectural details. On the left side, we see a portion of the building with balconies and decorative windows. In the center, there is a large main building with many windows arranged in horizontal rows. The center of the building stands out with a central portal adorned with ornamental elements. On the right, we see another portion of the building with features similar to those on the left side. The lower floor features large doors and rectangular windows. The sky is clear and uniform, without clouds.

Located at number 46 Avenida Rio Branco and completed in 1908, the building received this name for originally housing the national headquarters of Companhia Docas de Santos, the company that held the monopoly over the operations of the city's port, through which the production of São Paulo coffee was shipped for more than ninety years — which made it one of the largest companies in the country. It was the president of Brazil himself at the time of its construction, Rodrigues Alves, who requested that the company's partners, Eduardo Palassim Guinle and Cândido Gaffrée, move their offices from Rua da Quitanda to a building that would reflect the company's importance amid the transformation the country's capital was undergoing. And, naturally, there could be no better location for the new headquarters than Avenida Central — more precisely, on the corner with Rua Teófilo Otoni.

Image description: The image is an engraving showing a building with three levels. The spatial layout runs from left to right, beginning with a watchtower and ending with a main façade. In the foreground, there is an entrance with a large, detailed door. Above it, there is a balcony with a balustrade. On the second level, there is a large window with a decorative frame. The third level features a smaller, simpler window. At the top, there is a flat roof with two small lateral towers. The text in the image reads "Comps Docus de Santos Escritório Central Seção Transversal CD Escala 1:50".

The project was designed by Ramos de Azevedo, one of the most important architects in Brazil during that period — responsible, for example, for the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo —, and the execution of the works was entrusted to the company of Antônio Januzzi, considered the best-equipped construction firm in the city. The cornerstone of the building was laid on Christmas Eve of 1904, in the same ceremony that marked the start of the works of the Clube de Engenharia and the Theatro Municipal, and construction began the following year. Its inauguration took place on January 28, 1908, a symbolic date for national maritime trade, since that day marked one hundred years since the signing of the Abertura dos Portos by the prince regent D. João, a document that put an end to the commercial exclusivity between Brazil and Portugal.

References to maritime trade are present both on the facade and inside the building. The doors, carved by the Portuguese craftsman Manuel Ferreira Tunes — one of the most talented artisans of his time —, feature carvings of merchant ships and of the products that structured Brazil's agro-export economy, such as sugarcane, tobacco, and coffee. Tunes carried out work marked by national references, from the choice of material (jacaranda wood) to the ornamental details inspired by colonial baroque style.

The building features stonework in Tijuca granite, also known as granito carioca, a stone used in countless works throughout Rio de Janeiro — from which the Corcovado and Pão de Açúcar hills are largely formed —, as well as Carrara marble, carved by the Italian artist Alexandre Sighière (also spelled Alessandro Sighieri). At the entrance, the tiles that make up the floor mosaic were imported from the renowned Belgian factory Bock Frères. The main doors are topped with busts of the Baron of Mauá and Admiral Tamandaré, both created by the sculptor Henrique Levi.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a building with classical architecture located on a corner. On the left side, we see a row of trees and some people walking near old cars. In the center, the main building has several windows decorated with ornamental details. On the right, there are more trees and a car parked on the sidewalk. In the background, other buildings can be seen, completing the urban scene.

On the façade, on the upper floors, ship bows create the illusion of moving forward toward the avenue. In the background of the sculptures appears the symbol of commerce, with two serpents intertwined around a staff — a representation of balance, a fundamental element in commercial relations —, known as the Caduceus. Inside the Docas de Santos building, there are also other allusions to the world of mercantile navigation, such as the portraits of the navigators Pedro Álvares Cabral and Cristóvão Colombo.

The building follows the eclectic style, common to many constructions of the period, combining aesthetic elements from different traditions of Western architecture. Much of the materials used — besides the marble, the cast iron, frames, glass, bricks and ornaments — was imported from Europe. The elevator, which is still in operation, is also original to the period.

Image description: The image shows an old black-and-white document. At the top, there is a date and a signature. The text is left-aligned and divided into paragraphs. There are several handwritten notes in blue and black ink, including a date and a reference to a protocol number. The document appears to be a letter or an official report, possibly related to the preservation of historic buildings.

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Imagem 1 de 2: Old document with date and signature, handwritten notes on historical preservation.

In 1977, Gilberto Ferrez, historian and grandson of photographer Marc Ferrez, made an appeal to the counselors of the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) to act toward the preservation of the Docas de Santos building, arguing that the construction "possui uma obra de cantaria das mais belas e uma porta de madeira esculpida nobilíssima" ("has one of the most beautiful stonework façades and a most noble carved wooden door"). The following year, the heritage listing process began. Over more than a century, the building housed offices occupied by professionals — especially lawyers — and was headquarters to companies in the sector, such as Companhia Cessionária Docas do Porto da Bahia and Companhia de Navegação Lloyd Brasileiro. In 1986, it became the headquarters of the Fundação Pró-Memória — an entity that, together with the then National Historic and Artistic Heritage Service, gave rise to Iphan, whose superintendence in Rio de Janeiro remains at number 46 Avenida Rio Branco.

In December 2019, the largest restoration in the history of the building, then over 110 years old, began. The work involved restoring the façade, structural reinforcement, renovation of the facilities, modernization of security systems, accessibility adaptations, and restoration of artistic elements and built-in furniture. During this process, decorative paintings and interior ornamentation attributed to artists such as Del Bosco and Benno Traidler, which had been covered by white paint since the 1960s, were uncovered and restored.

Image description: The image is a painting depicting a group of flying angels around a sign. The angels are arranged in different positions, some holding flowers and others looking at the central sign. The sign has a light background and displays the text "Abertura dos Portos Carta Régia 28 de Janeiro 1808" in golden letters. The predominant color of the painting is beige, with details in lighter and darker tones.

After this major intervention, the building was reopened in 2024, establishing itself as a symbol of Brazilian architectural heritage and also as a cultural space open to the public, with guided tours and events that reinforce its relevance to the urban, economic, and social history of Rio de Janeiro.

Today, the Edifício Docas de Santos remains a living memory of the transformations the city has undergone since the early 20th century — and it still has much history to tell.