HotelAvenidaeGaleriaCruzeiro

Where the Edifício Avenida Central stands today, the Hotel Avenida and the Galeria Cruzeiro once shone, symbols of the Belle Époque in Rio and built along the lines of eclectic architecture with European influence.

Opened in 1910, the Hotel Avenida boasted the most modern facilities of its time: its 220 rooms were lit with electric power, and it was one of the first buildings in the city to have an elevator.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a large building with classical architecture. On the left side, we see a portion of the building with balconies and regularly spaced windows. In the center, the main building has a tower with ornamental details and a statue on top. On the right, there is another section of the building with balconies and windows. The building is in black and white, with sharp details and defined shadows.

Galeria Cruzeiro, so named because of two passages crossing in the shape of a cross, was located on the ground floor of the hotel. It housed the circular tram station of the Companhia Ferro-Carril do Jardim Botânico, which connected Downtown to the South Zone.

The Gallery also housed a large number of commercial establishments: shops that dictated the city's fashion trends, restaurants and bars. It was a gathering place for bohemians because of the famous bars Nacional and Franziskaner, frequented by João do Rio, Olavo Bilac, Manuel Bandeira, Pixinguinha, and Noel Rosa.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an interior corridor of a building. On the left, there is a wall with windows and a signage board. In the center, there is an opening that reveals an interior courtyard with people walking. On the right, there is also a wall with windows and a signage board. At the top, there is hanging lighting. The people are wearing period clothing, suggesting a historical setting.

It was also one of the main settings for Rio's carnival, drawing crowds of revelers who arrived on the crowded, noisy trams. “Happiness leapt from the wooden benches of the trams to the marble tables of the bars.” It began to lose importance starting in 1937, when the tram station moved to operate at the newly opened Tabuleiro da Baiana and was chosen as the favorite spot of bicheiros and street vendors.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a city. On the left side, we see a large building with many architectural details, including balconies and windows. In the center, there is a wide street with several people walking and parked cars. On the right, there is another building with a central tower and decorative arches. In the background, we see more buildings and an extensive urban landscape. At the top of the image, there is a mention of "Avenida Rio Branco" and a Flickr address.

In the mid-1950s, news of the demolition mobilized part of the population, but the building was torn down anyway, in 1957, to make way for the Edifício Avenida Central.