São Paulo Court Keeps ‘Times Square Paulistana’ Project Suspended

Overview

• A judge in São Paulo’s appeals court, relator Fausto Seabra of the 7th Public Law Chamber, denied the city's request on Friday to lift a lower‑court injunction that bars installation of LED panels on four downtown façades.
• The injunction stems from a popular action first granted on May 27 by Judge Celina Kiyomi Toyoshima, who cited the project's large scale and possible harm to the public and the city's landscape.
• The Boulevard São João plan would place giant LED screens on Cine Paris República, Edifício Herculano de Almeida, Galeria Sampa and Edifício New York, with the largest panel measuring about 40 by 25 meters.
• Under the cooperation agreement, Grupo Fábrica de Bares would fund roughly R$8 million of nearby restorations while private partners would cover about R$42 million for the screens; the term sets operating rules such as 5:00–23:00 hours, reduced night brightness and a 30% cap on commercial time.
• With the suspension still in force, the city says restorations and a public‑private revitalization model are at risk and may seek further legal or regulatory steps, while the dispute highlights how the Lei Cidade Limpa and heritage rules limit large‑scale advertising on historic façades.