Luz Station

The Luz Station (, ) is the common name for a train station in the Luz neighbourhood in São Paulo, Brazil. The station is part of the metropolitan rail system ran by the CPTM. The station is mostly notable for housing the Museum of the Portuguese Language, established in 2006. The Luz Metro station is also located within the complex.

History

The station was built in the late 19th century with the purpose of being the headquarters of the newly-founded São Paulo Railway. In the first decades of the 20th century, it was the main entrance to the city, a fact that gave it a major economic relevance, because the majority of the coffee from Santos was delivered in the station, along with the imported supplies.

The current building was finished in 1901. The materials for its construction were brought from UK. The station was designed and produced by Walter Macfarlane & Co. Saracen Foundry Glasgow. The station was assembled in Glasgow, then disassembled and sent to São Paulo where it was reassembled. The building was designed by the English architect Henry Driver.

In the 1940s, the station caught fire and during the rebuilding process, a new floor was added to the building. Since then, the rail transport in Brazil started to decline, the same happened with the Luz neighbourhood. Both factors led to the degradation of the station. However, in the 1990s, the station was repaired.

Cultural influence

The station is a remain from the period when the coffee was a major source of...
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