Prédio do Banespa/Altino Arantes

161 meters/528 feet tall with 36 above ground floors. Construction finished in 1947. The building's form was inspired by the Empire State Building. It was the tallest concrete structure in the world from 1947 until 1962; surpassed by Marina City I in Chicago. In 1951 the observation deck was opened to public. The original project from Plínio Botelho do Amaral, was changed by Camargo & Mesquita construction company to resemble to the Empire State Building. In 1947 this building surpassed Prédio Martinelli as the tallest building in São Paulo. Although the building is not the tallest in the city, it is located on the highest point in the downtown. This makes the observation deck one of the best spots in town for sightseeing. In 1988 the building hall received a 13 meter tall luster, weighing more than 1.5 tons. The piece has 150 lamps and 10 thousand crystal accessories. The building facade is covered by porcelain pieces; inside the building some floors are decorated with Carrara marble and Ipê and Jacarandá parquet blocks. In the 1960´s the building was renamed from Edificio-Sede do Banespa to Altino Arantes in honor of the first Brazilian president of the bank.
There is a museum in the 3rd floor of the building, with photos of the 40´s, objects of the time of inauguration and newspaper articles about the building. The observation deck is open to public visitation on weekdays from 10am to 5pm. Every month about 5600 people visit the observation deck. Tallest building in Sao Paulo from 1947 to 1960, until Mirante do Vale was completed. The facade wasn´t changed since the building inauguration, except for the installation of a luminous display at the top of the building. When completed, the building was the tallest high-rise building in the world outside the United States.