As Antigas e as Novas Vilas de São Paulo: Conceituacão e Estudos de Caso

Abstract

São Paulo started grow ing at the end of the last century, w hen it had an accelerated urban and industrial developm ent. Then, a large num ber of dwellings, buildings and factories w ere built in it and its urban landscape w as com pletely transform ed. Some groups of dwellings w hich w ere built around courtyards w ithin the blocks, appeared in the city w hile it w as on the increase. W e call them "vilas" Each one has a narrow street that leads to a courtyard that can be used as parking or as a recreation place - m ainly for the children. The architecture of each "vila" is a peculiar one, although there are some similarities betw een the houses of different "vilas" These groups of dwellings w ere built in São Paulo from the las decade of the last century to the eighties, w hen the governm ent considered necessary to cease the urban expansion. Now adays, the "vilas" have been built again, but in a different way. Now, they are designed to the upper and middle classes and they have a n ew m eaning to the society and to the urban space