Log in to hire Joao

Joao Pina

Photographer

www.joao-pina.com

Copan during quarantine

Follow Hire

Residents of the Copan building...car Niemeyer in 1950's.

1 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Residents of the Copan building protesting against president Jair Bolsonaro by hitting pans and yelling trough their windows in the back side of the copan building in Sao Paulo, the largest apartment building in Brazil projected by the architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1950's.

Residents of the Copan building...car Niemeyer in 1950's.

2 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Residents of the Copan building protesting against president Jair Bolsonaro by hitting pans and yelling trough their windows in the back side of the copan building in Sao Paulo, the largest apartment building in Brazil projected by the architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1950's.

The Copan building, the largest...he quarantine for the Covid-19.

3 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

The Copan building, the largest residential building in Latin America where more than 5000 people live during the quarantine for the Covid-19.

Pablo Resente, 31 an architect ...olaton due to the corona virus.

4 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Pablo Resente, 31 an architect and his girlfriend Livia Tatsuki, hitting a pan to protest against Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Mr. Resende and Ms. Tatsuki have been living in the Copan building for 5 years, and spent the last 11 days in self-isolaton due to the corona virus.

A detail of Ilê Sartu...ding while he projects a movie.

5 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

A detail of Ilê Sartuzi's apartment in the Copan building while he projects a movie.

Walerio Araujo, a fashion desig...25 years in the Copan Building.

6 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Walerio Araujo, a fashion designer originally from Pernambuco State, who has been living for the last 25 years in the Copan Building.

Ilê Sartuzi, 24 an ar...vies in his apartment at night.

7 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Ilê Sartuzi, 24 an artist working from his apartment. He has been living in the Copan building for the last 4 years. Since he started to quarantine because of corona virus, he has been projecting more often movies in his apartment at night.

Tamara Salazar, 28, has been li...cial model and party organizer.

8 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Tamara Salazar, 28, has been living in the Copan building for 4 years. Ms. Salazar is a dj, stylist commercial model and party organizer.

A detail of the Copan building's emergency stairs.

9 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

A detail of the Copan building's emergency stairs.

A woman walks her dog in front ...entrance to the Copan building.

10 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

A woman walks her dog in front of the main entrance to the Copan building.

Food distribution personel wait...l market in the Copan building.

11 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Food distribution personel waiting for their packages to come out from a small market in the Copan building.

Ana Milena Irisarri, 33 origina...s while looking out the window.

12 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Ana Milena Irisarri, 33 originally from Colombia and working as a personal assistant for a lawyer in Sao Paulo, has been living for the last 10 years in Brazil and moved to the Copan building two months ago. Under quarantine when not working, she often drinks cocktails while looking out the window.

An man living in the streets ne...ão Paulo.

13 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

An man living in the streets near the Copan building receive a free warm meal twice a week from a group of residents who have been crowdfunding during the pandemic to support people living in the streets of downtown São Paulo.

The Copan building seen with the skyline of São Paulo.

14 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

The Copan building seen with the skyline of São Paulo.

Edyr Sabino, 63 a biomedical en...uilding with 440 square meters.

15 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Edyr Sabino, 63 a biomedical engineer and photographer and long-time resident of the Copan. lives with Daniel Sabino his 14 year old son, his 10 year old daugther Helena Sabino and his wife in what he claims to be the largest apartment in the copan building with 440 square meters.

Pollyanna Mattos, 36 a digital ...he has been living for 8 years.

16 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Pollyanna Mattos, 36 a digital marketing and adverstising specialist at her house in the Copan building where she has been living for 8 years.

Carine Wallauer, 31 a photograp...ys ago due to the corona virus.

17 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Carine Wallauer, 31 a photographer lives in the copan building for the last three years. She has been in self-quarantine since she returned from Europe 23 days ago due to the corona virus.

Amanda Dias, 29 a visual artist...1 days due to the corona virus.

18 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Amanda Dias, 29 a visual artist in her apartment in the copan building where she has been living for the last 18 months. Ms Dias has been in self-isolation for the last 21 days due to the corona virus.

Maria do carmo conceicao, 51 or...uarantine started in Sao Paulo.

19 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Maria do carmo conceicao, 51 originally from Bahia, has been living in Sao Paulo for 28 years and always in the Copan Building. She works as a maid in a Hotel, but has been in forced vacation since the quarantine started in Sao Paulo.

Thyago Nogueira, (in red t-shir...en living for the last 8 years.

20 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Thyago Nogueira, (in red t-shirt) 44 an editor and curator, and his partner Andres Sandoval 46 an illustrator in their apartment in the Copan Building where they have been living for the last 8 years.

André Xavier, 29 is ...to internet viewers.

21 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

André Xavier, 29 is a professional chef, cooks in his home kitchen while livestreaming it to internet viewers.

Angelica Cunha, 55 anos a resid...rantine for the last two weeks.

22 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Angelica Cunha, 55 anos a resident of the Copan building for the last six years, is a caregiver to an eldearly woman, but since she had a flu, she has been home in quarantine for the last two weeks.

The back side of the copan buil...s 70 commercial establishments.

23 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

The back side of the copan building in Sao Paulo, Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1952, on the occasion of the fourth centenary of São Paulo, and built between 1952 and 1966, Edifício Copan is one of the most emblematic and iconic buildings of modern Brazilian architecture and of the city, as well as the largest building in Latin America. It was commissioned by the Pan-American Hotels and Tourism Company and modelled on the Rockefeller Center in New York. It is 115 metres tall and has 32 floors and a total of 1160 apartments of various sizes which house approximately 5000 tenants, as well as 70 commercial establishments.

Views from the rooftop of the C...uilding in Sao Paulo at sunset.

24 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Views from the rooftop of the Copan building in Sao Paulo at sunset.

Dandara Hahn, 30 is a designer ...n the Copan builing.

25 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Dandara Hahn, 30 is a designer and visual artist. packing her belongings to vacant her apartment. Because most of her income stopped with the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been forced to leave her apartment in the Copan builing.

Alberi Carvalho, 38 is a painte...o rehersal for 30-40 every day.

26 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Alberi Carvalho, 38 is a painter working in the Copan building for the last 6 years. He started playing the violin 10 years ago in his church, and uses his lunch break to rehersal for 30-40 every day.

Detail of the Copan building’s brise-soleil.

27 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Detail of the Copan building’s brise-soleil.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

28 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

29 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

30 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

31 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

32 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

33 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

34 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

35 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

Welcome mat at the entrances of...artments in the Copan building.

36 of 36 © 2024 Joao Pina

Welcome mat at the entrances of one of the 1160 apartments in the Copan building.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Close

Thumbnail of Residents of the Copan building _scar Niemeyer in 1950's.

Thumbnail of Residents of the Copan building _scar Niemeyer in 1950's.

Thumbnail of The Copan building, the largest _the quarantine for the Covid-19.

Thumbnail of Pablo Resente, 31 an architect a_solaton due to the corona virus.

Thumbnail of A detail of Ilê Sartuz_lding while he projects a movie.

Thumbnail of Walerio Araujo, a fashion design_ 25 years in the Copan Building.

Thumbnail of Ilê Sartuzi, 24 an art_ovies in his apartment at night.

Thumbnail of Tamara Salazar, 28, has been liv_rcial model and party organizer.

Thumbnail of A detail of the Copan building's emergency stairs.

Thumbnail of A woman walks her dog in front o_ entrance to the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Food distribution personel waiti_ll market in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Ana Milena Irisarri, 33 original_ls while looking out the window.

Thumbnail of An man living in the streets nea_São Paulo.

Thumbnail of The Copan building seen with the skyline of São Paulo.

Thumbnail of Edyr Sabino, 63 a biomedical eng_building with 440 square meters.

Thumbnail of Pollyanna Mattos, 36 a digital m_she has been living for 8 years.

Thumbnail of Carine Wallauer, 31 a photograph_ays ago due to the corona virus.

Thumbnail of Amanda Dias, 29 a visual artist _21 days due to the corona virus.

Thumbnail of Maria do carmo conceicao, 51 ori_quarantine started in Sao Paulo.

Thumbnail of Thyago Nogueira, (in red t-shirt_een living for the last 8 years.

Thumbnail of André Xavier, 29 is a_ to internet viewers.

Thumbnail of Angelica Cunha, 55 anos a reside_arantine for the last two weeks.

Thumbnail of The back side of the copan build_as 70 commercial establishments.

Thumbnail of Views from the rooftop of the Co_building in Sao Paulo at sunset.

Thumbnail of Dandara Hahn, 30 is a designer a_in the Copan builing.

Thumbnail of Alberi Carvalho, 38 is a painter_to rehersal for 30-40 every day.

Thumbnail of Detail of the Copan building’s brise-soleil.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Thumbnail of Welcome mat at the entrances of _partments in the Copan building.

Public Project

Copan during quarantine

Copyright Joao Pina 2024

Updated Dec 2020

Location sao paulo

Topics Covid-19, Documentary, Editorial, Latin america, Photojournalism, Quarantine. brazil. sao paulo, Spotlight, Travel

The Copan building the largest residential building in Brazil, with 1160 apartments and over 5000 residents living in downtown São Paulo is a small city. Designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer in the 1950's, it was meant so people from all economical spectrums could live in center of South America's most populated city.

How does a building which hosts the population of a small town, live during the COVID-19 quarantine? This was the original question that brought João Pina into the building when the pandemic started in March 2020, moving for three weeks to start documenting the lives of the residents and building workers during this exceptional times.

Commissioned by National Geographic Magazine

11,344

Also by Joao Pina —

Tarrafal (work in progress)

Joao Pina / Cape Verde

Jun 30, 2023

The Cost of Gold

Oct 18, 2020

Clandestine Abortion

Sep 24, 2018

46750

Joao Pina / Rio de Janeiro

Jan 1, 2007 - Dec 31, 2016

Anonymous Phantoms

Joao Pina / Colombia

Sep 1, 2016 - Ongoing

Por teu livre pensamento

Joao Pina / Portugal

Dec 31, 1969 - Dec 31, 1969

Sign-up for
For more access