A small coastal city in southern Brazil is making global headlines with plans to construct the tallest residential skyscraper in the Americas—a 550-meter (1,804.46-foot) tower that will soon surpass New York’s Central Park Tower in height.
Known as Senna Tower, the building is named after Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna and is currently under development by Talls Solutions, the high-rise division of FG Empreendimentos. Once completed, it will not only redefine Brazil’s skyline but also mark a new chapter in the rise of vertical architecture in Latin America.
Senna Tower is set to feature 204 apartments, six luxury penthouses, 18 elevated mansions, and an observation deck across eight floors—six private and two public.
The design features a sleek glass façade and celestial lighting to mimic a hero’s journey, in tribute to Senna’s legacy. The base of the tower will showcase racing-inspired terraces wrapped in a track-like design, offering a visual connection to Senna’s life on the circuit.
The tower is rising in Balneário Camboriú, a city with a population of just over 145,000. Despite its modest size, the former fishing village has evolved into Brazil’s skyscraper capital.
It already houses four of South America’s five tallest buildings. With land limited and demand high, developers are building upward—and selling big. Penthouses in Senna Tower are projected to fetch more than $50 million.
𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗲á𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶ú 𝗔𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗸𝘆𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟱𝟱𝟬-𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿
Balneário Camboriú, Brazil’s coastal luxury real estate hub, aims for global skyline dominance with a new 550-meter… pic.twitter.com/tETdQAMoom
— The Rio Times (@TheRioTimes) May 11, 2025
This boom can be traced back to the late 1980s when the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship led to zoning reforms. The federal government transferred control over building regulations to municipalities, giving local governments, like Balneário Camboriú, near-total freedom over urban planning.
Developers now purchase air rights from the city, and unlike in many major urban centers, there are no maximum height restrictions once those rights are secured.
The engineering behind Senna Tower is as bold as its ambition. The foundation includes 700 auger-cast piles drilled more than 40 meters (131.234 feet) into bedrock.
Unlike typical skyscraper foundations, which reinforce only the top portion of each pile, these will be reinforced throughout, providing full-length structural strength. Early testing on-site has already proven successful.
Above ground, the structure will rely entirely on reinforced concrete built around a central core. This technique, similar to methods used in Manhattan’s tallest towers, ensures resilience against extreme conditions.
Wind tunnel tests by engineering firm RWDI indicate that airflow changes in the surrounding area will be minimal. Two massive tuned mass dampers—each weighing 1,000 tonnes (1102.31 US tons)—will sit atop the tower to minimize sway and ensure resident comfort.
Senna Tower’s development arrives as part of a broader shift across Latin America. Countries like Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina are easing building restrictions and embracing high-rise development.
Once complete, the tower will stand not just as a national landmark, but as a symbol of the region’s architectural evolution.
With construction already underway and a seven-year timeline ahead, Brazil is staking its claim as the new home of the Americas’ tallest residential skyscraper—a structure as ambitious as the man it honors.
