Chinese (Simplified) 
Chinese (Traditional) 
English 
French 
Alemão 
Italian 
Japanese 
Norwegian 
Spanish 
5 min read
3 comments
Brazil's most expensive mansion, valued at R$220 million, will be demolished in Leblon. In its place will be the Estância Pernambuco condominium, featuring eight homes priced up to R$50 million.
In the heart of Leblon, the neighborhood with the highest price per square meter in the country, a historic mansion is on the verge of disappearing. Valued at around R $ million 220, the property will be demolished to make way for an even more ambitious development: the Estância Pernambuco condominium, Consisting of eight high-end mansions and estimated total value in R $ million 360.
It's the end of one symbol and the birth of another — both marking the top of the Rio luxury scale.
A Leblon icon that will be rewritten
Built in the 1980s, the old house became a legend in Rio's real estate market. Located on Rua Jardim Pernambuco, it occupied a plot of land measuring 11 thousand square meters, the equivalent of a football field, and had 2,5 thousand square meters of built area.
Among its features were six suites, eighteen bathrooms, fifteen parking spaces, library, semi-Olympic swimming pool, sauna, helipad and garden designed by Roberto Burle Marx — a faithful portrait of the economic boom of the 80s.
-
Avoid the 7 mistakes that fool thousands of drivers and increase their expenses without them realizing it.
-
A destination 2 hours from São Paulo that combines affordable shopping, nature, history, and over 11 million tons of oranges during harvest season.
-
Young man sells house, business, and possessions, buys a Lamborghini worth R$1 million, converts it into a motorhome, and travels through more than 10 countries in search of every destination on the planet.
-
Front seat seating is once again permitted on Uber, reigniting a national debate about driver autonomy, passenger comfort, and in-car etiquette in 2024.
Even with all this equipment, the house remained stuck on the market for years. According to specialized brokers, the format of a single, gigantic, and isolated residence no longer appeals to the high-income public. Today, the desire is different: personalized exclusivity, invisible technology, and absolute privacy.
The new chapter: Estância Pernambuco
At the same address, a project is now being born that promises to redefine the standard of luxury in Brazil. The Estância Pernambuco will consist of eight exclusive houses, built on lots ranging from 1.120 and 4.000 square meters.
Each one may have between 944 and 1.120 square meters of built area, with a custom design — from the internal layout to the landscaping.
Prices for each unit may vary between R$30 million and R$50 million, depending on your customization choices.
The set has commercial launch scheduled for early 2025, and works should begin in January 2026.
The architectural design bears the firm's signature Bernardes Architecture, commanded by Thiago Bernardes, known for emblematic works such as the Rio Art Museum. The landscaping will be done by Daniel Nunes, responsible for harmonizing tropical vegetation and modern structure.
The project also provides for underground passages that connect the houses, ensuring total visual and acoustic privacy. No car will drive in front of another person's residence, and each mansion will have independent underground garage, with internal elevator, spa and integrated leisure areas.
When luxury becomes an investment
More than just a real estate operation, the project reflects how the high-end market is reinventing itself. The idea is transform a single high-value asset into several equally unique properties, multiplying the return potential.
According to a neighborhood broker interviewed by Examination, “the trend is to create tailor-made luxury — less ostentation, more design and efficiency.”
This strategy has already been replicated in cities such as São Paulo, Florianópolis e Balneario Camboriu, where old mansions are being replaced by high-end horizontal condominiums, adapted to the new profile of the Brazilian billionaire buyer.
A mirror of urban transformations
The case of Estância Pernambuco illustrates how Rio de Janeiro attempts to balance tradition and modernity. While erasing a historical symbol of Rio's elite, the project introduces a new model of occupation—one that is more planned, sustainable, and profitable.
According to data Sinduscon-Rio, sales of properties above R$5 million grew 18% in the first half of 2025 alone.
The scarcity of large plots of land in the South Zone and the increased demand for security and customization explain why developments of this type have become the “new normal” in the premium market.
The end of one era and the beginning of another
The demolition of Brazil's most expensive home is symbolic. It represents not only the end of a cycle of old-fashioned ostentation, but the beginning of a new phase of Brazilian luxury—more discreet, more technological, and even more expensive.
Leblon, which has been home to some of the country's greatest fortunes, is now preparing to house the most expensive condominium in Brazil.
On the same land where a mansion reigned for decades, eight will emerge.
And all of them, without exception, are destined to repeat the same story: that of an address that never goes out of fashion — it just reinvents itself.
The saddest thing is that it's not just history this country lacks. It lacks history because it lacks a sense of community, a sense that what belongs to all should prevail over what belongs to a few. And because of this, our institutions are powerless. No one really cares. What matters here is earning what I want. Yours, ours, is not my problem! In the rest of the civilized world, there's still the idea that having money isn't enough. You need to be seen and remembered for what you do for the world. Here, you only need to be seen and remembered as rich, and perhaps famous. It's every man for himself, even if you destroy everything along the way.
How horrible to destroy this beautiful mansion. It must have so many stories!
I think the same thing. It's sad to see a building with so much history disappear, but unfortunately, in the real estate market, the value of the land often speaks louder than the memory of the buildings.