Elevador Lacerda

The Elevador Lacerda stands as a slender, four-sided concrete tower that bridges the steep cliff separating the upper and lower districts of Salvador. Built in the eighteen seventies, it replaced a series of inefficient manual pulleys that once hauled goods and people up the escarpment. Augusto Frederico de Lacerda designed it, and for decades, he owned the elevator, charging a small fee for the ride. It remains the fastest way to cross the city, moving thousands of commuters daily between the port and the squares.