Mário de Andrade Library, Public library and United Nations depository in República District, São Paulo, Brazil
Mário de Andrade Library is a public library in São Paulo housed in a distinctive Art Deco building from the early 1930s. The building spans several floors and holds millions of volumes while also serving as a depository for United Nations documents.
The library began in 1925 from a municipal collection of 15,000 volumes and welcomed the public in 1926. Over the following decades it grew to become one of the country's largest repositories of documents and books.
The library is named after a leading Brazilian writer and intellectual whose ideas shaped modern Brazilian culture. Visitors experience how the institution celebrates the country's literary tradition through its collections and spaces.
The library allows registered members to access and borrow materials at any hour through a self-service system. The building spans multiple floors, so planning which sections to visit helps you make the most of your time there.
The building was designed by French architect Jacques Pilon and represents a significant example of Art Deco architecture that shaped São Paulo in the 1930s. The structure was later protected as a heritage site for its role in documenting the city's modernist development.
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