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There are buildings that bear witness to many different architectural styles: the 1935 Esther building, considered the first with a modern architectural design; the S-shaped Copan building designed by Oscar Niemeyer; and Itália building (see Historical buildings).
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Theatro Municipal
One of the two traditional addresses for classical music fans. This is where the historic Modern Art Week took place in 1922. The building, designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1911, is reason enough to justify a visit. It now houses the São Paulo City Symphony Orchestra, the city's lead group in the field. Guided visits need to be booked in advance.
This S-shaped building, the largest residential building of Latin America, was projected by famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and was the symbol of the emerging "modern" São Paulo during the 1960s. As the rest of the Historic Center, the building entered a period of decadence, but its inhabitants now have a middle class profile, and it is still one of the most beautiful skyscrapers of the city center.
The largest library in the city and the second largest in the country, named after the modernist artist. With over 3,2 million titles, it distinguishes itself for its collection of 60 thousand rare documents dating back to the 19th century.
Elevado Presidente Costa e Silva
The Minhocão ("Big Worm"), a 2.7-km-long highway opened in 1970, is considered to be a monument to poor urban planning and to the chaotic growth of the city in a not-so-distant past. Its construction turned a large portion of the city center into a degraded area. The highway is closed to cars, but open for pedestrians and bicycles, Monday to Friday from 20:00 to 7:00, Saturdays starting from 15:00 and the entirety of Sunday. Over the Minhocão, you have a unique view of the west part of the city center, mostly the Santa Cecília district. Seeing the Minhocão from below is also interesting, as it has been covered with works of art.
The historical part of downtown is known for being unsafe at night, so to compensate for that, local NGOs organize a nocturnal walking tour every Thursday. It is an opportunity to have a different look at some of downtown's most famous sights. Unfortunately, the tour is only given in Portuguese.
Palácio dos Correios
The first home to the state's mail service, constructed in 1922. It hosts many exhibitions, mainly focused on the company's history.