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With 80 Floors and High-Value Apartments, the Skyscrapers of Balneário Camboriú Have Become a Symbol of Luxury — and Controversy for Casting Shadows on the Beach.
Balneário Camboriú, in Santa Catarina, has stopped being just a tourist resort to become synonymous with ostentation. In the last ten years, the city has concentrated the largest residential buildings in Brazil and Latin America, hosting a collection of skyscrapers that have transformed the coastline. The One Tower, completed in 2022, is the tallest in the country: 84 floors and 290 meters high, nearly five times taller than the Christ the Redeemer, which is 38 meters. Next to it, the Yachthouse Residence Club, with 81 floors and 281 meters, became famous for having one of its units owned by player Neymar.
This urban movement has not only placed Balneário Camboriú on the map of world engineering but also sparked heated debates: to what extent does the luxury of these buildings contribute to the local economy, and when does it start to harm the city itself?
Million-Dollar Apartments That Impress
The luxury of the Santa Catarina skyscrapers is reflected in the numbers. According to local real estate agencies, apartments can cost between R$ 15 million and R$ 30 million, depending on the height, view, and square footage.
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Each unit can exceed 400 m², with open floor plans, double height, panoramic balconies with hot tubs, suites of up to 80 m², and exclusive leisure areas. The buildings also offer helipads, spas, private cinemas, wine bars, party rooms, and even exclusive marinas.
It is a standard that rivals luxury properties in Miami or Dubai, attracting billionaires, foreign investors, and famous Brazilians.
The Engineering Behind the Giants
Building skyscrapers in a coastal city has brought unprecedented technical challenges in Brazil. To withstand the strong coastal winds, the buildings have special concrete structures, deep foundations, and imported technology.
In the case of One Tower, for example:
- More than 40,000 tons of concrete were used.
- The construction took eight years to complete.
- The tower received wind damping systems similar to those used in skyscrapers in Asia.
According to the construction company Pasqualotto, responsible for the Yachthouse, the elevators can reach speeds of 7 m/s, allowing residents to ascend to the 81st floor in less than a minute.
The Price of Luxury: Shadows on the Beach
But not everything is glamorous. Since the first buildings began to rise along the Balneário Camboriú coastline, residents and tourists have noticed a side effect: the giant towers cast shadows over the beach for a large part of the day.
Reports from BBC Brasil (2021) and Folha de S. Paulo (2022) showed how extreme verticalization has changed the city’s relationship with tourism. During peak season, thousands of visitors arrive at the central beach and find the strip of sand partially darkened by the shadows of the buildings.
The phenomenon has already led to protests, criticism from environmentalists, and debates about urban planning. For some, the city has become a symbol of inequality, where the sun, once democratic, now seems to be a privilege for those who can afford the penthouses with panoramic views.
The City’s Response: Widening the Beach
In 2021, the city hall of Balneário Camboriú concluded one of the boldest works in Brazilian urban history: the widening of the central beach, which increased from 25 to 70 meters in width.
The stated objective was to return space to bathers and reduce the impact of the buildings’ shadows. The project, which cost about R$ 67 million, used sand dredged from the seabed and doubled the beach’s usable area.
However, the measure did not silence the criticisms. For urban planners, the widening was a stopgap solution, as the height of the towers continues to rise. Supporters argue that the work has solidified the city as an example of urban modernization in Brazil.
Balneário Camboriú: A Symbol of Ostentation
Balneário Camboriú has already been nicknamed “Brazilian Dubai” precisely for housing some of the most expensive properties in the country in a city of just over 150,000 inhabitants.
While millionaires invest in luxury apartments, part of the population faces high living costs, congested traffic, and environmental impact. The contrast has become evident in recent censuses: while the average income along the coast rises, outlying neighborhoods struggle with mobility and infrastructure issues.
Still, the skyscrapers have become the postcard of the city and attract thousands of curious tourists who visit the coast not only to sunbathe but to see up close the tallest residential buildings in Latin America.
International Comparisons: Balneário Among the Giants
Although residential skyscrapers of 300 meters are common in cities like Dubai and Hong Kong, the fact that they are in a medium-sized coastal Brazilian city makes Balneário Camboriú a unique case in the world.
- One Tower (Brazil): 290 meters, 84 floors.
- Yachthouse (Brazil): 281 meters, 81 floors.
- Princess Tower (Dubai): 413 meters, 101 floors.
- 432 Park Avenue (New York): 425 meters, 85 floors.
In practice, Balneário is now ranked globally among cities with the highest concentration of residential buildings over 250 meters — a feat no other Latin American city has achieved.
Between Pride and Controversy
The future of Balneário Camboriú remains under debate. For some, the buildings are a symbol of progress, luxury, and innovation.
For others, they represent a mistake in urban planning that favors a few at the expense of the collective.
What cannot be denied is that the skyscrapers have forever changed the city’s identity. Today, Balneário is not just a beach destination: it is an extreme example of verticalization, a stage of contrasts where millionaires watch the sunset from their penthouses while tourists seek a space of sand illuminated by the remaining sun on the coastline.
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