The destinies of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (Osesp) and the Júlio Prestes Station crossed long before the inauguration of its headquarters, the Sala São Paulo — and this story passed through the concourse of the old station. The concert on November 29, 1995, conducted by Maestro Eleazar de Carvalho, in the newly restored hall where passengers once waited, would echo two years later to the ears of those seeking a permanent home for the Orchestra. In 1997, the decision about the Osesp's home would be made, however, in the former garden of imperial palms, whose proportions were perfect for the acoustics of symphonic concerts and capable of hosting large audiences and orchestras. Thus, Sala São Paulo was born; the Arts Station was an essential part of the project, helping to ensure that the noise of the train in the still-operating station would not reach the ears of the audience and musicians.

The renovation
The renovation of the new performance hall, developed by architect Nelson Dupré – also responsible for the restoration of Sala São Paulo in 1999 – aims at a delicate transition: continuing to be the arrival and departure point for events for the community, but also opening up as a space dedicated to multiple arts.

However, the idea of transforming the Arts Station not just into an adjacent and alternative space, but into a vital part of the Júlio Prestes architectural and cultural complex, with a vocation for multiple arts, was not forgotten. The creation of the Osesp Foundation in 2005 breathed new life into this desire. The first challenge was the implementation of the necessary facilities for a performance hall, while preserving the architectural features with as little interference as possible, thus safeguarding the history and historical heritage. The inspiration came from an Osesp visit in 2012 to the Snape Proms Festival, hosted by The Britten-Pears Foundation in Aldeburgh, England. There, Marcelo Lopes, the executive director of Osesp, saw the possibility of a retractable audience and immediately realized that this would be a viable solution for the Station.

In 2016, a bolder proposal was drawn up: a hall for about 500 spectators, marked by an acoustic structure of glass and steel, which challenged the traditional aesthetic of the station but was conceived to integrate with it in perfect harmony. However, political, economic, and technical challenges delayed the project. In the meantime, the Arts Station continued to host social events, ensuring some use, but still far from the cultural vocation its creators had envisioned.
The great challenge was to transform the Arts Station into a space that, like the trains that passed through it, would follow its own path. The station was meant to remain a meeting point, where the memory of passengers, with their intertwined destinies, met the new life that would be born there. Its soul would remain deeply connected to the trains that came and went: losing this connection, both visually and symbolically, would be like the derailment of a dream.
CCR Arts Station

The current proposal, developed by architect Nelson Dupré – also responsible for the restoration of Sala São Paulo in 1999 – aims at this delicate transition: continuing to be the arrival and departure point for events for the community, but also opening up as a space dedicated to multiple arts. To achieve this, it was necessary to adjust the acoustics of the space, as if tuning the rails for its new artistic route. The future Arts Station should respect the marks of time, an invaluable historical heritage for the city of São Paulo. Removable elements, such as a movable stage and seating, dressing rooms, bathrooms, elevators, and an independent entrance, were incorporated, allowing the station to maintain its identity while embracing modernity.
With this new intervention, it will be dedicated to multiple artistic languages: from chamber music and jazz to MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), from theater to dance, as well as educational activities that are already flourishing with renewed intensity.
And thus, the now renamed CCR Arts Station prepares for its most grandiose journey.