Andorinha Building Explained

Andorinha Building
Architectural Style:Art Deco, Brazilian Modernist
Years Built:1930–1934
Groundbreaking Date:1929
Opened Date:1934
Demolition Date:1996
Floor Count:12
Architect:Rino Levi

The Andorinha Building was an apartment building in Rio de Janeiro. It was destroyed by a fire in 1986.[1]

After its demolition, it was replaced by the Torre Almirante.[2]

History

The building was located on the corner of Graça Aranha and Almirante Barroso avenues in central Rio de Janeiro.

On February 17, 1986, a short circuit in a two-way electrical system caused a fire, killing 21 people and injuring more than 50.[3] Firefighters arrived a few minutes after the fire began, but were unable to take action until an hour later due to problems with their equipment, allowing the fire to destroy five floors in three hours.[4]

The building had a mosaic panel by artist Belmiro de Almeida. Saved from the fire, the work that was abandoned for nearly twenty years was to be recovered in the beginning of the 21st century, being on display in the neighborhood of Lapa, in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Fogo e desespero matam no Andorinhas . 1986-02-18 . . Biblioteca Nacional-Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira . 312 . 1.
  2. Web site: Torre Almirante, Rio de Janeiro. https://web.archive.org/web/20150513044348/http://www.emporis.com/buildings/149859/torre-almirante-rio-de-janeiro-brazil. dead. 13 May 2015. 17 August 2015. Emporis.
  3. News: Morte, saída do inferno . 1986-02-18 . Tribuna da Imprensa . Biblioteca Nacional-Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira . 11217 . 1.
  4. Web site: Incêndio no Edifício Andorinhas . 2021-10-28 . Grupo Globo.
  5. News: Painel na Av. Chile . 1988-09-09 . . Biblioteca Nacional-Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira . 154 . 25.