Edifício Ely, Eclectic architectural building in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Edifício Ely is a four-story masonry building at 283 Conceição Street, designed by Theodor Wiederspahn in an eclectic style of Germanic inspiration with Renaissance and Baroque elements. Its 3,220 square metres of facade carry tall narrow windows with delicate frames, balustrades, domes, ornaments, statuary and wrought iron railings, and a pediment with volutes and a statue of Mercury by Alfredo Staege above the entrance. It now houses the downtown branch of Tumelero, a construction materials chain.

The German-Brazilian architect Theodor Wiederspahn designed and built the Edifício Ely between 1922 and 1923 for the fabric merchant Nicolau Ely, who had grown rich in the textile trade. Ely kept his shop on the ground floor and rented the upper floors as offices. The building later became a city cultural heritage and underwent a revitalization in 2012.

The facade carries a statue of Mercury, Roman god of commerce, made by sculptor Alfredo Staege above the entrance, fitting a building raised for fabric merchant Nicolau Ely. The eclectic design mixes Germanic inspiration with Renaissance and Baroque elements, which the Memory Center of the Architects' Council of Rio Grande do Sul calls one of the most outstanding examples of eclectic architecture in Porto Alegre.

The building sits downtown on Conceição Street within walking distance of the bus station. It is easy to reach and you can view the architecture from the street, where the facade details are clearly visible.

The building features a statue of the god Mercury sculpted by local artist Alfredo Staege that crowns the entrance. This figure is a rare example of artist collaboration in the city's early architectural works.