CBI Esplanada, Heritage skyscraper in Vale do Anhangabaú, Brazil

CBI Esplanada is an office building in Vale do Anhangabaú featuring a regular pattern of rectangular panels and metal windows across its exterior. The complex includes diverse uses across multiple floors, combining office space with retail areas.

The municipality approved a complementary project by Elisiário Bahiana in 1938, and foundations were begun in 1941 before work stopped. In 1946 Lucjan Korngold, a Pole from the first graduating class of the Warsaw Faculty of Architecture, filed a new scheme for Octávio Guinle: three blocks, two for offices and one for a hotel. Approval took about two years because city technicians were unfamiliar with the modern language; the permit came in 1948 and the building opened in 1951.

The building marks a period when São Paulo transformed into a modern business center and architects from around the world realized their designs here. Visitors can admire the clear geometric facade that is typical of that era and shapes the city's identity.

The building is located near Anhangabaú metro station, making it easy to reach by public transportation. The site is straightforward to find and has multiple street-level entrances for pedestrians.

At its completion, it was the world's largest reinforced concrete building and demonstrated the capabilities of Brazilian engineers in modern construction techniques. This record achievement is often overlooked today, even though it shows the city's important role in global construction during that period.