The Torre Palace Hotel, located in the North hotel sector, was one of the main luxury destinations in Brasilia and hosted several personalities from the national and international scene.
Opened in 1973, the building gained notoriety before entering a long period of decay marked by crises, legal disputes and abandonment.
Soon after its opening, the hotel hosted sports, music and television personalities. In October 1973, three players from the three-time world champion Brazilian team stayed there: Carlos Alberto Torres, team captain, Zé Maria and Rivellino.
Read also
-
Federal District
Find out why an iconic hotel in central Brasilia imploded
-
Federal District
Implosion of iconic hotel in central Brasilia postponed
-
Federal District
The hotel that will be imploded was Cracolândia vertical and target of operations
The following month, the group Os Diagonais and the singers Jair Rodrigues and José Cipriano visited the Torre Palace.
Among the athletes, in addition to Zanata, then Vasco midfielder, the hotel twice hosted the legendary Mané Garrincha, Botafogo idol and considered one of the greatest players in the history of world football.
Other names in national football have also played for Torre Palace, such as Chiquinho, at the time at Flamengo; Ferretti, from Botafogo; and Nelson, from São Paulo. Players Lula, from Fluminense, and Miguel, from Vasco, were also staying at the hotel.
Torre Palace has also hosted national and international authorities, such as United Nations (UN) officials Clinton A. Thykeson and Denniz C. Payne.
On January 29, 1974, Hollywood actress and Broadway star Mary Martin chose this hotel to stay during a visit to the federal capital.
Hotel implosion postponed
The hotel was purchased by a hotel group which plans to build a new development on the site and will be imploded by the company RVS Construções e Demolições.
The implosion is part of the process of replacing the old structure, which fell into disrepair after the death of its founder, Lebanese businessman Jibran El-Hadj, in 2000.
For historian Lewy Mota, 39, the Torre Palace was designed to be a symbol of luxury, status and a space for illustrious people.
“So the unfolding of this historical process at the Palace Hotel ends up culminating in this context of degradation, of destruction of a place that was once a meeting place for illustrious and important figures in the history of Brasilia from the 70s,” he said.
Since the closure of activities, the building has suffered invasions, acts of vandalism and has become a point of insecurity and urban degradation.
The implosion, initially planned for Sunday (12/21), was postponed until January 25, 2026, at the request of the Brazilian Army, the body responsible for authorizing, monitoring and logistics the use of explosives in the country. The Force requested more time to organize the operation.
In Brazil, explosives, detonators and accessories are classified as military controlled products (PCE), whose regulation involves public security, internal order and national defense criteria.
In addition to authorizing the use of equipment, the Army works in an integrated manner with other agencies to ensure perimeter isolation and public safety.
According to technical data from the company RVS Construções e Demolições, responsible for the operation, 938 structural holes were drilled, using 165.56 kilos of Ibegel SSP type explosives.
The equipment will be installed on the ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th floors, totaling 600.78 meters drilled into the pillars. The collapse was designed with a slight inclination towards the East, thus reducing the dispersion of waste towards the Monumental Axis.
The operation will benefit from the support of Civil Defense, the Police, Detran and the Fire Brigade. On the day of the implosion, there will be a preventive evacuation of the nearest hotels, located in front and to the side of the building.
During the years it remained closed, the Torre Palace was also the target of disputes between heirs and other legal disputes.
In 2021, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ordered the Labor Court to analyze an issue related to the auction of the property. In 2016, a major operation evacuated the occupants of the building, then known as “Cracolândia Vertical”.
About The Author
