Latest
issue
Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
Sign up here ▸
News   Features   Products   Company profilesProfiles   Press releasesProfiles   Magazine   Handbook   Advertise    Subscribe  
NEWS
Oscar Niemeyer's long lost São Paulo palace reimagined as luxury Oetker Collection hotel
POSTED 13 Mar 2017 . BY Kim Megson
The building was first constructed in the 1940s as Tangará Ranch as a gift for the fiancé of Brazilian businessman Francisco ‘Baby’ Pignatari Credit: Oetker Collection
An abandoned Brazilian palace designed by iconic late architect Oscar Niemeyer is to finally see the light of day, with hotel group Oetker Collection opening the building as their first property in the Americas.

Palácio Tangará will open in São Paulo in June 2017.

The building was first constructed in the 1940s as Tangará Ranch, when wealthy Brazilian businessman Francisco ‘Baby’ Pignatari commissioned it as a gift to his fiance. Niemeyer designed it, along with Pier Luigi Nervi and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx famous for his avant garde Copacabana beach promenade.

However, Baby’s marriage ended, and his original plans for the ranch were never completed. Instead, the property was abandoned for decades and eventually demolished in the 1990s.

Marx’s 26 acre garden was preserved and completed by the architect, and opened to the public as Burle Marx Park.

A previous attempt to open a hotel on the site fell apart over financing issues. Now the Oetker Collection have stepped in to re-create Baby’ original palace, albeit reimagined as a glamorous 141-room hotel.

B+H Architects, Bick Simonato and PAR Arquitetura are overseeing the restoration and renovation, while interior designers William Simonato, Luis Bick and Patricia Anastassiadis have been commissioned to complete the hotel’s “truly bespoke” guest rooms and public spaces. The trio has been inspired by 1940’s Brazilian glamour and elegance, including the rise of Brazilian abstract art and Bossa Nova music.

The rooms, including 59 suites, will look out onto the park – home to lush greenery, clear lagoons, checkerboard-patterned lawns, geometrically tiled walls, and a vast array of tropical Atlantic plants and exotic bird species.

The Palácio Tangará’s facilities will include a signature restaurant, Chef’s Table – run by Jean-Georges Vongerichten – and a bar, wine cellar, lobby and lounge bar, all with outdoor terraces.

There will also be a fitness centre and a Sisley Spa with a private garden and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Nine function rooms will feature, including a ballroom for up to 530 guests.

The Oetker Collection owns eight other design-led “Masterpiece Hotels,” including L’Apogée Courchevel in the French Alps and The Lanesborough in London.
RELATED STORIES
  Oetker Collection unveils exclusive wellness club and Guerlain Spa at new five-star Geneva hotel


After five years’ construction, German hotel management company Oetker Collection has unveiled its first Swiss hotel named The Woodward in the heart of Geneva, complete with views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.
  Designers 1508 London re-imagine iconic hotel's classical aesthetic at upcoming Lanesborough Club & Spa


London’s The Lanesborough hotel, part of the luxury Oetker Collection, is set to open its new 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) exclusive spa and wellness centre – billed as ‘a lifestyle club for the modern Londoner’ – on 13 March, and has partnered with experts across the fitness, beauty, spa and wellness communities to offer a holistic approach to wellbeing.
  Oetker’s London Lanesborough to open 18,000sq ft ‘exclusive’ wellness space


Following the reopening of The Lanesborough in London last year, the Oetker Collection will introduce an 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) spa and wellness centre in early 2017, marking the next stage of the hotel’s evolution.
MORE NEWS
HCM News: Taking GLP-1s is linked to a decline in physical activity
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Mubadala makes €1 billion bid for Pierre and Vacances
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed €1 billion offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the continental European Center Parcs business.
Synergy The Retreat Show launches resource for retreat business leaders to showcase specialisms
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The SATCC announces first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five- day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
+ More news   

FEATURED SUPPLIERS

Glow beyond protection: meet Comfort Zone Hydramemory Hybrid Glow SPF 30
Sun protection is no longer just about shielding the skin – it's about enhancing it. [more...]

Embrace the chill: TechnoAlpin's Snowsky revolutionises post-fitness recovery with falling snow
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
WDT Werner Dosiertechnik GmbH & Co. KG

WDT was founded 40 years ago by Dietmar Werner with the invention of a dosing system for calcium hyp [more...]
Aquaform

With a rich heritage in the spa industry, Aquaform offers a diverse array of water wellness experien [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
 

+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

03-05 Jul 2026

World Championship in Massage

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 
ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
 
SPA BUSINESS
SPA OPPORTUNITIES
SPA BUSINESS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026
Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
Sign up here ▸
News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Oscar Niemeyer's long lost São Paulo palace reimagined as luxury Oetker Collection hotel
POSTED 13 Mar 2017 . BY Kim Megson
The building was first constructed in the 1940s as Tangará Ranch as a gift for the fiancé of Brazilian businessman Francisco ‘Baby’ Pignatari Credit: Oetker Collection
An abandoned Brazilian palace designed by iconic late architect Oscar Niemeyer is to finally see the light of day, with hotel group Oetker Collection opening the building as their first property in the Americas.

Palácio Tangará will open in São Paulo in June 2017.

The building was first constructed in the 1940s as Tangará Ranch, when wealthy Brazilian businessman Francisco ‘Baby’ Pignatari commissioned it as a gift to his fiance. Niemeyer designed it, along with Pier Luigi Nervi and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx famous for his avant garde Copacabana beach promenade.

However, Baby’s marriage ended, and his original plans for the ranch were never completed. Instead, the property was abandoned for decades and eventually demolished in the 1990s.

Marx’s 26 acre garden was preserved and completed by the architect, and opened to the public as Burle Marx Park.

A previous attempt to open a hotel on the site fell apart over financing issues. Now the Oetker Collection have stepped in to re-create Baby’ original palace, albeit reimagined as a glamorous 141-room hotel.

B+H Architects, Bick Simonato and PAR Arquitetura are overseeing the restoration and renovation, while interior designers William Simonato, Luis Bick and Patricia Anastassiadis have been commissioned to complete the hotel’s “truly bespoke” guest rooms and public spaces. The trio has been inspired by 1940’s Brazilian glamour and elegance, including the rise of Brazilian abstract art and Bossa Nova music.

The rooms, including 59 suites, will look out onto the park – home to lush greenery, clear lagoons, checkerboard-patterned lawns, geometrically tiled walls, and a vast array of tropical Atlantic plants and exotic bird species.

The Palácio Tangará’s facilities will include a signature restaurant, Chef’s Table – run by Jean-Georges Vongerichten – and a bar, wine cellar, lobby and lounge bar, all with outdoor terraces.

There will also be a fitness centre and a Sisley Spa with a private garden and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Nine function rooms will feature, including a ballroom for up to 530 guests.

The Oetker Collection owns eight other design-led “Masterpiece Hotels,” including L’Apogée Courchevel in the French Alps and The Lanesborough in London.
RELATED STORIES
Oetker Collection unveils exclusive wellness club and Guerlain Spa at new five-star Geneva hotel


After five years’ construction, German hotel management company Oetker Collection has unveiled its first Swiss hotel named The Woodward in the heart of Geneva, complete with views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.
Designers 1508 London re-imagine iconic hotel's classical aesthetic at upcoming Lanesborough Club & Spa


London’s The Lanesborough hotel, part of the luxury Oetker Collection, is set to open its new 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) exclusive spa and wellness centre – billed as ‘a lifestyle club for the modern Londoner’ – on 13 March, and has partnered with experts across the fitness, beauty, spa and wellness communities to offer a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Oetker’s London Lanesborough to open 18,000sq ft ‘exclusive’ wellness space


Following the reopening of The Lanesborough in London last year, the Oetker Collection will introduce an 18,000sq ft (1,672sq m) spa and wellness centre in early 2017, marking the next stage of the hotel’s evolution.
MORE NEWS
HCM News: Taking GLP-1s is linked to a decline in physical activity
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Mubadala makes €1 billion bid for Pierre and Vacances
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed €1 billion offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the continental European Center Parcs business.
Synergy The Retreat Show launches resource for retreat business leaders to showcase specialisms
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The SATCC announces first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five- day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families.
Ansana Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
+ More news   
 
FEATURED SUPPLIERS

Glow beyond protection: meet Comfort Zone Hydramemory Hybrid Glow SPF 30
Sun protection is no longer just about shielding the skin – it's about enhancing it. [more...]

Embrace the chill: TechnoAlpin's Snowsky revolutionises post-fitness recovery with falling snow
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
WDT Werner Dosiertechnik GmbH & Co. KG

WDT was founded 40 years ago by Dietmar Werner with the invention of a dosing system for calcium hyp [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

03-05 Jul 2026

World Championship in Massage

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS