Renato de Albuquerque is a Brazilian

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

and entrepreneur in the construction and real estate businesses. He was cofounder of a pioneering construction firm, Albuquerque & Takaoka, in 1951 alongside fellow architect and friend Yojiro Takaoka.

Early life and education

Both Albuquerque and Takaoka studied at the University of São Paulo Polytechnic School, graduating in 1949.

Career in business

Together with Takaoka, Albuquerque is responsible for the creation of the first vertical and the first horizontal walled

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

s in Brazil. The Alphaville concept was widely copied throughout Brazil and is a very successful enterprise, currently with more than 20 locations in Brazil and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. In October 2006, Alphaville was purchased by Gafisa S.A. Albuquerque is also the editor-in-chief of the Alpha Magazine and president of the Alphaville Foundation, a

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

and not-for-profit NGO.

Albuquerque Foundation

Albuquerque has amassed more than 2,600 pieces, making it the world’s largest private collection of Ming and Qing dynasty ceramics made for export as well as works made for the imperial court. Since 2025, the collection has been exhibited in the former family home in Sintra, where the Albuquerque Foundation also organizes temporary exhibitions of contemporary ceramics and offers artists’ residencies. After a redesign by the Brazilian architecture firm Bernardes Arquitetura, it includes a pavilion for exhibitions, a restaurant, a shop, a garden and a library. The foundation’s exhibition program opened with an inaugural show by Theaster Gates.Jackie Daly (1 February 2025)
In the Albuquerque Foundation, a family estate becomes a ceramics mecca
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''.

Recognition

Albuquerque is an honorary citizen of

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in São Paulo (state), São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's popul ...

and Barueri.

References

Brazilian civil engineers Brazilian businesspeople Year of birth missing (living people) Living people {{Brazil-engineer-stub