Parque Cidade Jardim

The rise of privatized luxury domains, combining private residential, collective and commercial functions, has become unstoppable in Brazilian cities. Described as condomínios fechados, these impenetrable, closed enclaves are in effect vertical urban neighbourhoods. The Hygiénopolis neighbourhood in São Paulo marked the start of this development in the twentieth century. Along with their collective and commercial functions, the condomínios fechados are epitomized by the apartments’ large surface area and luxurious materialization. The city’s collective programme withdraws behind high walls, where it becomes the exclusive domain of privileged residents. Parque Cidade Jardim in São Paulo is a prime example of such privatized stacked luxury…