Ever wondered about the story behind that charming yellow house? This is the Casa Amarela do Centro Universitário Fundação Santo André. It stands as a testament to a bygone era.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine Santo André as a landscape dotted with summer estates. The Casa Amarela was once part of the Sítio Tangará. This large estate belonged to Charles Murray a coffee broker of Scottish descent. His family often vacationed here. They usually stayed at Vila Mimosa another property in the city center. Today Vila Mimosa is the headquarters of Primeiro de Maio F.C.
The Sítio Tangará was a countryside haven. It was surrounded by farms awaiting the city’s expansion. Friends were often invited for parties horse rides and golf games. A nine-hole golf course was designed by Mario Gonzalez. He was a renowned specialist who also designed the Gávea Golf course in Rio de Janeiro. The estate also featured two forests a lake and two orchards. A small chapel once stood here but it has since been demolished.
The Casa Amarela served as the estate’s headquarters. The Murray family called it the “Club House”. It was used for short stays changing clothes and celebrations. The name Casa Amarela stuck because of its distinctive yellow walls.
Architecturally the Casa Amarela reflects the Spanish-American Neocolonial style. This style was popular in São Paulo in the early 20th century. Many decorative details are still preserved today. These include decorative stones embedded in the facades. The plaster has an irregular rough surface. Some windows feature twisted columns called salomônicas. There is a niche for an image on the facade. You can also see earthenware pineapples parapets with half-moon latticework tile panels doors with Moorish motifs and wrought iron lamps on the eaves. Originally the roof was covered in colonial-style tiles. The tiles at the edges were shaped like upward-turned feathers. Based on these features the building is believed to have been constructed between the mid-1920s and early 1930s.
In the late 1950s there was a growing need for housing in Santo André. The Murray family attempted to subdivide part of the estate but they were unsuccessful. In 1962 the estate was expropriated. The plan was to build a public park. Instead the Fundação Santo André was built here. The Faculdade de Ciências Econômicas already existed since 1953. The Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras was established in 1966. The Data Processing Center opened in 1967. These modernist buildings surround the old headquarters. Today the Casa Amarela houses the rectory and administration of the Centro Universitário Fundação Santo André.
In November 2010 the former headquarters of Sítio Tangará was listed as a cultural heritage site. COMDEPHAAPASA the Municipal Council for the Defense of Historical Artistic Architectural Urban and Landscape Heritage of Santo André made the designation. The reasons for its preservation include its representation of summer estates. Its architecture with Missões characteristics is also important. Its nearly century-long presence in the landscape is valued.
The Casa Amarela stands as a reminder of Santo André’s past. It connects us to the Murray family and the early days of the Fundação Santo André. It remains a vibrant part of the city’s cultural heritage. Bisnetos of Charles Murray have even visited the Casa Amarela to express gratitude for its preservation. The Casa Amarela is a tangible link to the past. It enriches the present and inspires the future.