at a glance

the organization was founded with the general purpose of defending and maintaining the urban characteristics of the neighborhood. over time, the name saara began to be used as a point of reference to the commercial section of the neighborhood.

this movement developed enough momentum to stop the new project in its tracks and, so, the neighborhood around alfândega street was maintained. nowadays these buildings contain more than 1.200 stores, in what is considered the largest open-air market in rio de janeiro, and it is ranked among the largest in the world.