São Paulo, leading light of Latin America

São Paulo is the fourth biggest city in the world, by population, and the biggest in the southern hemisphere. Its considerable economic and cultural influence is felt throughout Brazil and increasingly beyond. With growing renown for creativity in fashion, design, architecture and modern art, São Paulo, the birthplace of Ayrton Senna, lays a sound claim to the status of cultural capital of South America. And this long-standing economic hub is home to a dense network of automotive industry suppliers, including companies specializing in the mock-ups through which stylistic concepts take physical shape.

A 100% local team

These were some of the considerations behind Renault’s choice of São Paulo for siting its new "creativity hub", the latest member of a growing network of worldwide design centres. "By being closer in touch with market trends, we can work with greater agility and efficacy to meet the specific expectations of consumers in the region," explains Jérôme Stoll, CEO of Renault do Brasil and senior VP for Renault Mercosur.

"Renault Design America Latina, with its excellent regional vision, will be making a major contribution in early project stages and developing derivative versions of Renault group vehicles for Mercosur," notes Thierry Metroz, VP for exterior design and design director for the Americas region.

"On everything from exterior and interior design through to colours and materials, the new centre has all the skills needed for full project development, in an intensively digital international working environment," sums up Vincent Pedretti, in charge of the 100% local team recruited to take up the challenge.

Being closer to the trends

São Paulo is an eminently cosmopolitan city, and the team reflects this, with Argentinean, Brazilian, Colombian and French nationalities all represented. Even the choice of neighbourhood for the design centre is fitting: the Gardens District, focal point of art and creativity in São Paulo, with its fashion showrooms, architects’ and decorators’ studios, art galleries, and, of course, the famous modern art museum. Renault Design America Latina will doubtless be drawing from São Paulo’s many design schools to increase its workforce, the idea being, as Mr Stoll puts it, to make Renault "a leading name in design for the Latin American market".