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The developer Newview, in partnership with the real estate arm of BTG Pactual, acquired the 15,000 square meters in a judicial recovery auction; the restoration of the mansion costs R$ 5 million and the delivery of the condominium is scheduled for the end of 2029
The most talked-about mansion in Flamengo in the Rio real estate market has a set date and destination. In a report published on July 4, 2026, Exame showed that the mansion on Rua Marquês de Abrantes, 55, built around 1865 as the residence of the Baron of São Clemente, will be restored and transformed into the leisure area of Symphony, a high-standard residential development by Newview Incorporadora.
The numbers of the operation are noteworthy: the 15,000 square meter land of the former Bennett School was acquired in a judicial recovery auction for R$ 60 million, in partnership with BTG Pactual. The project occupies 5,800 square meters with two towers and 364 units ranging from 1 to 4 bedrooms, between 40 and 194 square meters, and 70% of the VGV was sold in the first month of sales, according to Exame. The delivery is scheduled for the end of 2029.
The 1865 mansion that witnessed the birth of the neighborhood
The history of the Flamengo mansion begins when the neighborhood barely seemed like a neighborhood. The property was built around 1865 as the residence of the Baron of São Clemente, at a time when the region was still marked by farms and green areas, according to Exame. Over the decades, the mansion went through different owners and uses, until it housed, from 1919, the operation of the Methodist Bennett School, an institution that marked generations of Cariocas at the address on Rua Marquês de Abrantes.
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After three years living in a van, a couple bought an abandoned historic house and had to deal with mold, damaged plumbing, raccoons, and heavy cleaning before moving in.
The most recent chapter was the most melancholic: the mansion remained closed for about 20 years and fell into an advanced state of deterioration, still according to Exame. Globo records that the preservation of the property was one of the concerns of the surrounding residents since the sale of the land was announced, in a South Zone neighborhood known precisely for its old houses and the emotional memory of its addresses.
The R$ 60 million auction that changed the destiny of the Flamengo mansion
The turnaround came through the hammer. The land of over 15,000 square meters was acquired by Newview in a judicial recovery auction, in partnership with Enforce, the real estate arm of BTG Pactual, for R$ 60 million, according to Exame. Part of the area, about 9,000 square meters, remains occupied by educational institutions, and the rest houses the condominium and the restored mansion, maintaining coexistence with the neighbors.
The public’s appetite appeared even before the official opening: the project’s stand received more than 2,000 visits before the start of sales, reports Globo. “The Symphony integrates the historic mansion into the modern development, returning a cultural landmark to the neighborhood and offering high-standard services to residents,” says Guili Chor, director of incorporation of the developer, to Exame.
Spa, party room, and gym inside the mansion
The listed mansion will be the heart of the leisure area. On the 1st floor will be the party room and spa, with consultancy from Chandra Spa, and on the 2nd floor will be a gym of about 200 square meters, with consultancy from Bodytech exclusive for residents, according to Exame. The project also includes a playroom, pet space, and hair salon, expanding the list of services within the condominium.
The restoration has its own budget and signature. The recovery of the mansion will cost R$ 5 million and will be led by architect Jorge Astorga, a specialist in the recovery of historical buildings, and the property is expected to house the party room of the new residential, according to Globo. The newspaper details the project’s team: architectural design by Flavio Bassan with RAF Architecture, interiors by Studio Roca, and landscaping by Benedito Abbud, with plans to plant about 100 trees on the land.
70% of the VGV sold in the first month
The commercial performance surprised even those who launched it. “The launch had an excellent start in sales: 70% of the VGV was already sold in the first month. The buyer profile is mostly residents of the neighborhood itself, between 35 and 50 years old with family, as well as elderly people who value convenience and social areas,” details Guili Chor to Exame.
For the executive, the club condominium model, with large common areas relative to the size of the apartments, is still rare in Rio’s South Zone, where large plots of land practically do not exist. “In Barra da Tijuca or São Paulo, this model is common. Here, in neighborhoods like Flamengo, large plots are extremely scarce, and this makes the project even more special,” he says in the Exame report.
The school that stays and the 30% discount on tuition
The educational vocation of the address does not end with the real estate launch. Exame reports that about 9,000 square meters remain occupied by the Pensi+ school and UNINASSAU college, while Globo records the presence of Pensi+ and Uniasselvi as tenants, and this editorial notes the discrepancy between the two sources without reconciling it. As a strategy to connect with future residents, the first 50 buyers of the development will be entitled to a 30% discount on Pensi School tuition starting in 2027, according to Globo.
“Flamengo has always had a strong educational vocation, and Pensi arrived in the neighborhood understanding the historical and emotional importance of the region. When Newview approached us to think about the future of that land, it was clear from the start that the school would remain there as an integral part of the project,” says Luciana Vidal, general director of Pensi School, to Globo.
The legal dispute and the 25 rescued cats
Not everything is a celebration around the Flamengo mansion. In April 2026, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro once again advocated for the suspension of the works, requesting the maintenance of a court decision that had halted interventions on the land and the replanting of removed vegetation, according to Globo. Residents and entities in the region question the felling of trees and possible urban impacts, and protests were held in front of the old school, mobilizing environmentalists and heritage specialists, reports the newspaper.
On the other hand, the developer promises the planting of about 100 trees for landscaping and claims to have carried out actions to protect the animals that lived on the site. About 25 cats that occupied the area since the closure of Bennett School activities were rescued in partnership with the NGO Adote um Bichinho, still according to Globo.
A century and a half of history between two towers
Here is the observation from this editorial, duly noted: it is curious that the two most talked-about real estate launches of the moment, this one in the South Zone of Rio and the one at the Ipiranga convent in São Paulo, have in common historical buildings closed for decades, cats as the last residents, and the bet that the restored past is worth more than the cleared land.
From the Baron of São Clemente to Bennett College, and now to Symphony with a spa and gym under the 1865 roof, the mansion in Flamengo traversed the Empire, the Republic, and 20 years of closed doors to become the heart of a luxury condominium.
Tell us in the comments: does restoring a historic mansion as a private leisure area preserve the city’s memory, or should this heritage be open to everyone?
