Joelma Building

The Joelma Building, later renamed Edifício Praça da Bandeira, is a high-rise in central São Paulo, Brazil, completed in the early 1970s as a mixed office and car-park tower. On 1 February 1974 it was the scene of one of the worst building fires in Brazilian history: an electrical fault ignited a blaze that spread rapidly through the structure, killing more than 180 people and trapping many on upper floors. The tragedy prompted major reforms to fire-safety codes in Brazil.

Because of this profound loss of life, the building has long been associated with ghost stories. People who have lived or worked in and around it sometimes speak of unease, cold spots or a sombre atmosphere, and the fire is a fixture of local urban legend. These accounts are anecdotal and subjective, and are best understood in the context of a real and painful disaster rather than treated as evidence of the supernatural.

The building was repaired and remains in use, and its chief significance is as a memorial reference point in the history of fire safety and urban tragedy. It invites a respectful, historically grounded reflection on the lives lost and the reforms that followed, rather than sensational retelling.

The tower, now known as Edifício Praça da Bandeira, is a privately used commercial building in central São Paulo and is not a visitor attraction or memorial site open for tours. Its interior is not accessible to the general public.

Visitors can only view it from the surrounding streets and squares. Given that the site is associated with a disaster in which many people died, it should be regarded with sensitivity and respect, and any interest is best directed toward the documented history rather than intrusion on a working building.