In one of the most iconic addresses in São Paulo, on Avenida Paulista, between Augusta and Padre João Manuel streets, there is a building that is also quite symbolic: the Conjunto Nacional. Opened in 1958, with the presence of the president at the time, Juscelino Kubitschek, the space, which combines galleries with commercial and residential areas, was celebrated as the first shopping mall in Latin America.
Almost 70 years later, changes to the horizontal blade, which occupies the entire block on which the building is located, repositioned the Conjunto Nacional as an important cultural center. Much of this change comes from one company: L21 Corp, owned by Luiz André Calainho.
With the talent to transform art into business, Calainho will ‘dominate’ the gallery’s floors. Today, L21 already operates the Youtube Theater, inside the , on the ground floor. On the second floor, the Blue Note São Paulo operation, also owned by the group, will double its capacity with the opening of a new room later this semester. Also this year, a cultural space for immersive exhibitions measuring 2,700 square meters will be opened on the middle floor, spread across three immersive rooms and a gastronomic area with naming rights from a bank.
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These are the group’s new ventures, which are expected to earn around R$380 million in 2026, a growth of 20% compared to the previous year. “We treat art and culture as business, yes. Art is sovereign, of course, but we achieved this level because we professionalized our deliveries”, says Calainho, in an interview with InfoMoney. The goal is to grow even further and reach half a billion reais in up to two years.
“We treat art and culture as a business, yes”
The plan is drawn. L21 Corp positions itself as a communication platform for big brands, attracting important partners — from Google () to B3 () — and acting as a “spearhead” in the connection between brands and culture, with a proprietary naming rights delivery technology that goes beyond simple exposure. “Brazil is in first place when it comes to connecting brands with art, with culture”, he states. Arena B3, which emerged from the redevelopment of the site where the former Stock Exchange trading floor took place, is an example of this transformation and connection between brands and culture.
With eight cultural facilities and bringing together a team of more than 8 thousand people, including direct and indirect collaborators, the group is part of the giant creative economy that generates around R$230 billion per year.
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Art as business
For the self-described “arts enthusiast” and with 40 years of experience in the sector, the secret to success is treating art and culture as a profitable and professional business. L21 Corp, which began in the early 2000s after its stint at Sony Music, today encompasses 18 business units that encompass content platforms, FM radio, concert halls, conferences, festivals and musical theaters as well as experience centers with naming rights. The portfolio, however, is expected to grow.
In 2029, the Blue Note chain’s first luxury hotel is planned, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, with a rooftop dedicated to jazz and bossa nova. Growth extends beyond national borders: there are advanced plans to open Blue Notes operated by L21 Corp in Miami and Zurich, with a “Brazil-Latin mood”, taking national artists abroad.
On another front, Aventura, the group’s musical theater producer, plans to open an office in London to stage Brazilian productions in the West End, the English Broadway, with shows such as “Elis” and “Hip Hop Hamlet”. “There is no country in the world with the artistic and cultural richness like Brazil. We are the greatest cultural power in the world. In music alone, there are more than 300 genres. Brazil needs, once and for all, to understand the strength of this ‘soft power’ that we have”, says Calainho.
“We are the greatest cultural power in the world (…) Brazil needs, once and for all, to understand the strength of this ‘soft power’ that we have”
For Calainho, strengthening art and culture means strengthening the country itself, investing in identity, economy and future. “I’ll give you a very recent example: what South Korea is doing with K-Pop and Drama is state policy together with the private sector to raise the country’s image, sell products, attract tourism. It’s very similar to what the United States did in the post-war period. It’s time for Brazil to do this too”, he says.
Sovereignty of experience
In an increasingly digital world, Calainho defends the “sovereignty of the in-person experience”. For him, technology, including artificial intelligence and streaming platforms, will never replace the catharsis and energy of contact between artist and public. “There is no technology that is capable of supplanting this experience of the energy of contact between the public and the artist and between the artist and the public.”
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For him, the “digital fatigue” that people are experiencing even drives the search for escape valves in physical events, which explains the success and growth of his ventures.
