The Council for the Defense of the Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heritage of São Paulo (Condefato) has approved the Ricardo Nunez (MDB) management project to renovate the area around Viadut do Char, Teatro Municipal and Plaza Patriarca in the center of São Paulo’s capital.
However, the group had reservations about one of the project’s most controversial ideas: enclosing a marquee designed by architect Paulo Méndez da Rocha in Plaza Patriarca and closing the entrance to Galeria Prestes Maia with glass.
“The current proposal to close the roof of the Prestes Maia Museum would visually impede the enjoyment of the Santo Antonio Church, the viaduct itself, and the listed assets in its surroundings,” said the opinion of Mr. Condefart, head of state heritage conservation.
The Church of Santo Antonio is listed by the council, as are its immediate neighbors Viadut do Cha and the Matarazzo building.
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The project to close the entrance to Galeria Prestes Maia with glass had been criticized by architects and Paulo Méndez da Rocha’s own family. The group claims the measures, if implemented, would distort the marquee created by one of the country’s most famous architects. Meanwhile, city officials see the fence as a way to preserve the area.
When evaluating the construction request for the Viaduto do Char area, Mr. Condefato canceled the renovation work on the town hall, but suggested another intervention option in the case of the marquee.
“As an alternative, we propose, for example, to employ retractable horizontal closures on existing fences, which would eliminate new visual blocks and allow access to be resumed if necessary,” the text reads.
For Paulo Méndez da Rocha’s son Pedro Méndez da Rocha, also an architect, Condefato’s proposal seems like a more interesting solution to the case, given City Hall’s concerns about banning access to the gallery at night.
“This is the proposal that most impedes the integrity of the construction,” the architects said, stressing that retractable closures also need to be “carefully planned.” Paul says that “the more public, open, and permeated circulation a space is, the better.”
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Condefart also had reservations about other aspects of the planned renovations at Viaduto do Char. These range from technical issues, such as requests for information on the viaduct floor, to management’s decision to present a new GCM-based proposal to be installed post-construction. According to the document, the base must be of “more discreet coverage and color as it is immediately in front of the listed property.”
with a note to big cityheritage groups said the project must take reservations into account. “Work may begin, including enabling some of the requested analyzes on the reservation. As for the closure of the marquee, the project must be reviewed and approved by Condefart before its installation can begin,” the text sent to the report states.
City Hall wants to take advantage of the need to renovate Viadut do Char, which currently suffers from seepage problems, to launch its own bid to also intervene on the Municipal Theater and the sidewalks around Plaza Patriarca. The idea also foresees connecting Piazza Patriarca with the Anhangabau Valley and promoting the use of Galleria Prestes Maia, a space that is unused most of the time.
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Viadut de Char
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municipal theater
During the preparation of the project in the area, the Nunez administration considered moving the Paulo Méndez da Rocha marquee to another location in the city, but ultimately abandoned it after opposition from the architect’s family.
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