Edificio do Jornal A Noite, Art Deco skyscraper at Praça Mauá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Edificio do Jornal A Noite is an Art Deco skyscraper with 22 floors in the city center, rising 102 meters high. The building displays geometric shapes and ornamental details on its facade, constructed entirely from reinforced concrete.
The building was completed in 1929 and was the first skyscraper in Latin America, designed by architects Joseph Gire and Elisário Bahiana. Its construction marked a milestone in the city's modern architecture and set new standards for high-rise building in the region.
The newspaper A Noite gave the building its nickname, and from 12 September 1936 it housed Rádio Nacional, whose auditorium shows and radio soap operas drew crowds. Singers Sílvio Caldas, Francisco Alves and Orlando Silva and arranger Radamés Gnattali passed through its auditorium. The federal government took over the building in 1940, during Getúlio Vargas's Estado Novo, and Rádio Nacional stayed until 2012.
The building's surroundings are easily accessible and the facade can be viewed from outside. Visitors should note that the interior is currently undergoing renovation and may not always be open to the public.
The building's 102-metre height made a harmonious composition with the surrounding Praça Mauá buildings impossible, and its construction began the verticalisation of Rio de Janeiro. The terrace once held a restaurant with views over Guanabara Bay; the 2023 redevelopment plan foresees public access to that terrace and a cultural centre for Rádio Nacional.
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