Meet The Man Who Is Reinventing Sao Paulo

French businessman Alexandre Allard’s unique vision for Brazil’s biggest city

- Thomas Freeman

An unending sprawl of concrete and traffic, São Paulo is the fifth most populous city in the world, and its economy is projected to be the 15th biggest in the world by 2025, the largest in both Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere. Yet despite its prominence as a financial hub, the metropolis has failed to capture the world’s attention the way its seaside rival Rio de Janeiro has.

French real estate tycoon Alexandre Allard, known for his restoration of the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris and the revitalization of couture house Balmain, plans to change that. In 2019, his Groupe Allard will complete its estimated $388 million urban renovation project, Cidade Matarazzo (Matarazzo City). The project is a restoration of the derelict Matarazzo hospital complex, more than seven acres of historic Italianate buildings and unutilized land just off Paulista Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare.