Richard Building, the Duzentão of Copacabana, attracts tourists – 01/20/2024 – Tourism

The Richard building, located on the busy Barata Ribeiro street, in Copacabana, was once considered a Tower of Babel. Families, young single people, lonely elderly people, prostitutes and all sorts of people shared the long corridors with 45 apartments per floor (most of them combined), totaling 507 units on 12 floors.

The confusion featured in the headlines of police newspapers at the time, with the building as the backdrop. Between the 1970s and 1990s, the building known as Duzentão (in reference to the number, today 194), was a scene of scandals and hell for many residents.

Currently, the reality is different. Stricter condominium management and an effective security system made it possible to shape a new image. Several of his apartments have been renovated and are available on platforms such as Airbnb. With the arrival of high season, the search for a stay can be competitive.

It wasn’t always like this. Decades ago, Duzentão’s daily life was more outrageous than any soap opera plot set in Leblon and included fights between neighbors, marital conflicts, tragedies, illicit activities and other situations.

Several apartments were subleased to massage parlours, and the free access of customers without control by the concierge resulted in an avalanche of complaints to the property manager at the time.

The fact is that the Rio version of the 14 Bis Building in São Paulo collects stories that today sound more laughable than hideous. There was the arrest of a 75-year-old woman known as Vovó do Pó and the escape of a guy from the third floor using a clothesline after the police arrived.

From 2000 onwards, Richard began its restructuring. The high turnover of noisy tenants contributed to this, in addition to other measures such as closed circuit cameras in elevators and floors. The privileged location, 400 meters from the beach and just a few steps from the metro station, has awakened the tourist potential in the seasonal rental sector.

While the locals are unaware of the effective changes that have taken place there over the years and still maintain a negative view of Duzentão, guests, without knowing the past, are not shaken when they hear local opinions.

“I heard some stories, I was apprehensive at first, but I never saw anything wrong there, I think it got better”, says Euler Freitas, 42, from Minas Gerais, who has stayed there since 2010 on dates such as Carnival.

The diversity of the public is still part of Richard, but it is seen with different eyes today.

For ten years, Letícia Lima, 52, from Rio, has owned a 23 m² studio on the seventh floor, available on Airbnb. For her, the past has never gotten in the way of business, and she considers the building to be the face of the neighborhood.

“Duzentão doesn’t have a good reputation, but it’s a Rio classic, it’s the underworld of Copacabana, I think tourists like to see this reality”, says the owner, who says she has nothing to complain about: “I’m 100% happy occupancy rate until February 29th.”

In a quick search on Airbnb, a total of 16 apartments were found available for rent, all renovated and with daily rates starting from R$ 210. But if the intention is to purchase, the values ​​may vary depending on the size and position (front or funds for the forest) ranging between R$250,000 and R$650,000, according to some real estate websites.

Today, the building is a clear representation of the social disparity in Copacabana. Considered one of the most democratic neighborhoods in the south zone, it is home to apartment buildings neighboring others whose apartments can be worth millions.