This, in turn, is the result of a context of profound social, political and economic changes that took place in São Paulo in the second half of the 19th century.

It received a large influx of immigrants (intensified after the slavery abolitionism), which brought about significant transformations, ranging from material culture and eating habits to new forms of socialization.

In the city of São Paulo, the capital accumulated by coffee growers was reinvested in the fledgling industry, fueling the cycle of prosperity.

Noble neighborhoods were built to house the mansions and palaces of the coffee barons, always following European architectural standards, marked by eclecticism.

[5] The building, designed by Ramos de Azevedo and Domiciano Rossi, his main collaborator, has a monumental style in strong harmony with the principles of Italian eclecticism, consisting of three floors, with two internal courtyards to ensure ventilation and lighting.

In the project, the engineers planned to integrate the building with the Jardim da Luz, using side balconies and windows overlooking the park.

However, the building was never completed, as evidenced by the exposed bricks on the façade and in the internal courtyards and the absence of the aforementioned dome, which was part of the original project.

[7] Between 1993 and 1998, the main building underwent extensive renovations led by architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, together with architects Weliton Ricoy Torres and Eduardo Argenton Colonelli, which resulted in a museum adapted to the needs of international exhibitions, making the Pinacoteca do Estado a popular destination for many of the exhibitions that come to São Paulo.

One older, attributed to the Ramos de Azevedo office, is a remnant of the first school built there, and the other more modern, from the 1950s, designed by the architect Hélio Duarte.