Where It's Located
The São Paulo East Brazil Temple will be located at:
Avenida Guilherme Giorgi, 1091
Vila Carrão
03422-001 São Paulo–SP, Brazil
Vila Carrão is located on the eastern side of the enormous São Paulo metropolitan area.
The temple property covers approximately 10.7 acres (4.3 hectares), giving the project a substantial site within one of Brazil's largest cities.
Getting There
International travelers will generally arrive at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) before continuing into the city.
São Paulo is an enormous metropolitan area, so travelers should allow significant time for transportation between the airport, hotel, and temple site.
Because the São Paulo East Temple has not yet begun construction, there is currently no temple operating schedule or public interior access.
A Bit of History
President Russell M. Nelson announced the São Paulo East Brazil Temple on October 4, 2020, during the October 2020 General Conference.
The announcement called for a second temple in São Paulo, specifically on the east side of the city.
The decision was significant because São Paulo already had the historic São Paulo Brazil Temple, which was dedicated in 1978 as the first temple in Brazil and the first temple in South America.
The new temple will therefore serve a different part of the enormous metropolitan area.
The Church in Brazil
Brazil has one of the largest Latter-day Saint populations in the world.
At the time the São Paulo East Temple was announced, Brazil had approximately 1.5 million Latter-day Saints and 35 missions, second only to the United States in the number of missions.
São Paulo itself had more than 30 stakes, with many additional stakes throughout the surrounding region.
Brazil's enormous population and geographic size have made temple expansion particularly important.
Temple Site
The exact temple location was announced on October 31, 2022.
The Church selected the 10.7-acre property at Avenida Guilherme Giorgi, 1091 in Vila Carrão. Plans call for a two-story temple of approximately 46,050 square feet (4,278 square meters).
The size of the planned building makes it considerably larger than many of the smaller temples currently being announced around the world.
Current Status
The São Paulo East Brazil Temple is currently in the planning stages.
The current milestones are:
- Announcement: October 4, 2020
- Site announced: October 31, 2022
- Site size: 10.7 acres
- Planned floor area: 46,050 square feet
- Planned height/elevation: 2,564 feet above sea level
- Groundbreaking: Not announced
- Construction: Not started
- Official rendering: Not publicly released
- Open house: Not announced
- Dedication: Not announced
As of the latest information, even the official exterior rendering and site plan have not yet been publicly released.
Architecture
The planned temple will contain approximately 46,050 square feet of floor space and will be two stories tall.
Unlike many recently announced small temples, this will be a relatively substantial temple complex.
The Church has not yet publicly released the final architectural rendering, so details such as the exterior materials, tower design, landscaping, and interior room configuration have not been announced.
A Second Temple for São Paulo
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is that São Paulo will eventually have two temples.
The original São Paulo Brazil Temple was dedicated in 1978.
The São Paulo East Temple will be located on the opposite side of the metropolitan area, giving members in eastern São Paulo a temple that is potentially much closer to home.
The distinction is particularly notable because the São Paulo East Temple will become the fifth temple in the world built in a city that already has another operating temple, according to the temple's historical information.
A Growing Temple Network
The São Paulo East Temple will be the 12th temple built in Brazil and the third temple in the state of São Paulo, following:
- São Paulo Brazil Temple — 1978
- Campinas Brazil Temple — 2002
- São Paulo East Brazil Temple — future temple
The growth of this network reflects the strength and geographic reach of the Church in Brazil.
A Remarkable Metropolitan Distinction
The São Paulo East Temple will also make Greater São Paulo the fourth metropolitan area outside the United States with more than one temple.
The other metropolitan areas identified by the temple's historical information are:
- Lima, Peru
- Greater Manila, Philippines
- Guatemala City, Guatemala
This puts São Paulo in a relatively unusual category among cities outside the United States.
Why the East Side?
São Paulo is enormous.
Even when two locations are technically within the same city, traveling across the metropolitan area can take a considerable amount of time because of traffic and distance.
Placing a second temple in Vila Carrão on the eastern side allows the Church to distribute temple access more effectively across the metropolitan region.
The project is therefore less about replacing the original São Paulo Temple and more about bringing temple access closer to additional members.
Exploring São Paulo
A future trip to the São Paulo East Temple could be combined with exploring one of the world's largest metropolitan areas.
São Paulo is famous for its:
- Museums
- Restaurants
- Historic neighborhoods
- Parks
- Shopping
- Architecture
- Brazilian and international cultural communities
Major attractions include Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, the São Paulo Museum of Art, the Municipal Market, Liberdade, and the historic downtown area.
Liberdade
One of São Paulo's most distinctive neighborhoods is Liberdade, which has a strong Japanese-Brazilian cultural presence.
Visitors can find Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other Asian restaurants and shops throughout the neighborhood.
It is a particularly interesting stop for travelers who want to experience the multicultural character of São Paulo.
Ibirapuera Park
Ibirapuera Park is another major attraction.
The enormous urban park includes walking paths, gardens, museums, cultural buildings, and open spaces.
It offers a nice contrast to São Paulo's dense urban environment.
São Paulo Food Scene
São Paulo is one of the world's great food cities.
The city's population has been shaped by immigrants from around the world, resulting in an exceptionally diverse restaurant scene.
Travelers can find everything from traditional Brazilian cuisine to Japanese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Portuguese, and other international foods.
The Original São Paulo Temple
For visitors interested in Latter-day Saint history, the future São Paulo East Temple can be paired with a visit to the original São Paulo Brazil Temple.
The original temple has an especially important place in Church history because it was the first temple in Brazil and the first temple in South America.
Its announcement in 1975 marked the beginning of the modern temple era in South America.
The contrast between the two temples will eventually provide an interesting look at how temple construction has changed over the decades.
A Temple Announced During Rapid Growth
The São Paulo East Temple was announced at a time when Brazil already had a large and established Latter-day Saint population.
The country had approximately 1.5 million members and 277 stakes in 2020, according to information associated with the temple announcement.
The announcement therefore represented another stage in the Church's effort to make temple worship more accessible to an increasingly large population.
Planning a Future Temple Trip
The São Paulo East Brazil Temple is not currently open.
In fact, construction has not yet begun.
The Church has not announced a groundbreaking date, and no public open house or dedication date has been announced.
There is also currently no official exterior rendering available to the public, so travelers will need to wait for additional announcements before the final appearance of the temple becomes known.
Final Thoughts
The São Paulo East Brazil Temple is an important future addition to the Church's temple network in Brazil.
Announced by President Russell M. Nelson on October 4, 2020, the temple will bring a second temple to the enormous São Paulo metropolitan area.
The site was announced on October 31, 2022, with plans calling for a 10.7-acre property in Vila Carrão and a 46,050-square-foot, two-story temple.
Once completed, it will be the third temple in the state of São Paulo and will make São Paulo the fifth city in the world with more than one temple, according to the temple's historical information.
The project is still in its planning phase, with no groundbreaking date announced and no official rendering publicly released.
For Latter-day Saint travelers from the United States, a future trip to the São Paulo East Brazil Temple could combine temple worship, Brazilian culture, world-class food, museums, historic neighborhoods, parks, and the incredible scale of São Paulo.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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