Capela do Cristo Operário

Capela do Cristo Operário is a church building in the Cursino neighborhood featuring minimalist architecture with clean lines. The entrance comprises wooden double doors, and illustrative stained glass windows appear throughout the interior.

The building was founded in 1950 by Friar João Batista Pereira dos Santos and served factory workers from Vila Brasílio Machado during São Paulo's industrial growth. The chapel emerged when the city was rapidly expanding and creating new spiritual spaces for its working population.

The chapel displays murals by Alfredo Volpi on its walls and features gardens designed by Roberto Burle Marx. This blend merges the sacred interior with modern Brazilian artistic expression in a distinctive way.

The site remains active and holds religious services on Saturdays and Sundays while also housing the Dominican School of Theology and Dominican Province offices. Visitors should plan their visits respectfully around worship times or quieter periods.

From 1954 to 1967, the chapel grounds housed the Unilabor furniture factory, where workers shared profits from sales of Geraldo de Barros designs. This factory represented an early experiment in profit-sharing and craftsmanship in Brazil.