Magnum Editions: São Paulo, Brazil, 1960

René Burri’s photograph captures São Paulo at a moment of rapid transformation. From a rooftop terrace, four silhouetted figures stand against the vast vertical cityscape, their long shadows echoing the modernist geometry of the skyline. Below, Avenida Paulista pulses with traffic, symbolizing the city’s emergence as Brazil’s economic and industrial hub. Taken in 1960, the year Brasília became the nation’s new capital, the image reflects both Brazil’s ambitions for modernization and the precariousness of life within its booming urban landscape.