So Paulo's 8 Best Cultural Centers

One of São Paulo’s strongest points is the city’s rich and vast variety of cultures, all individual yet intermingled, making SP a truly cosmopolitan place. The best way to experience this diversity is by visiting São Paulo’s excellent cultural centers. Here are eight unmissable centers in Brazil’s biggest metropolis.

1. SESC 24 de Maio

Building, Library, Swimming Pool, Theater

SESC is an initiative headed by the Social Service of Commerce, investing in culture and the arts all over Brazil. They have several cultural and leisure centers across São Paulo, the newest of which being the striking SESC 24 de Maio, a fascinating building in the old center of the city, designed by master architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha.

As well as offering exhibition spaces, a theater, library, workspaces, a gymnasium and a stunning open-air rooftop swimming pool, SESC 24 de Maio is a gorgeous piece of architecture, incorporating the rugged yet beautiful center of São Paulo into the visual project of the building. http://instagram.com/p/BZZps0CguAh/?taken-at=1130871767024535

2. Japan House

Art Gallery

One of the newest additions to São Paulo’s cultural offerings is the stunning Japan House, a project of the Japanese government with a view to promoting Japanese culture around the world. Only three cities were chosen to receive their own Japan House: Los Angeles, London and São Paulo, with the Brazilian location being the first to be built and inaugurated.

It may seem strange to see SP in such illustrious company, but the city has the world’s largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan, which has contributed greatly to the city’s culture and heritage as a whole.

Japan House, located close to Brigadeiro subway station on Paulista Avenue, is visually dazzling inside and out, with some equally striking exhibitions. Entry is free throughout the week.

3. Casa das Rosas

Art Gallery, Museum

Back in the primordial days of Paulista Avenue, the street was lined with classic French-style mansions, home to the city’s wealthy coffee barons. As years went by and the coffee boom subsided, these mansions were gradually replaced, with Paulista slowly assuming its current form, as a cultural and financial center of the city.

One of the very few remaining mansions, however, is the charming Casa das Rosas, located directly across the road from the aforementioned Japan House. The well-restored house, built by iconic São Paulo architect Ramos de Azevedo, is a joy to walk around, with its classic design and the exhibition spaces that now fill its rooms. At the back of the house, there is also a quaint café, serving excellent food among a beautiful rose garden.