Contemporary interventions on Brazilian modern architecture: concepts, approaches and challenges.
conservation, preservation, restoration, modern architecture,
modernism, modern movement, interventions, techniques, concepts, analysis, case
study, contemporary theories.
The advance of technologies and the change of thought of society as a whole transformed the world drastically between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These changes were reflected in several branches of thought, in society in general and in the arts. With regard to the architecture produced at the end of the 19th century and especially during the 20th century, the improvement of construction techniques and building materials allowed for a plastic daring that was unfeasible in earlier times.
From the second half of the twentieth century, especially since the 1980s, there is a greater need to study and debate the restoration of 20th century monuments, especially so-called modern architecture. Through these discussions and the practical activity of restoration, we verified the existence of peculiarities that need to be addressed, either by the current theories of restoration, or by new theories and principles to be elaborated.
In the last two centuries, there have been numerous debates and discussions about restoration theories. Despite the opposition of ideas between the different strands, there is a common goal: the valorization and conservation of the built heritage. In this way, it is of fundamental importance that the restorer is able to exercise critical judgment on the least damaging and respectful way of intervening, establishing his priorities according to the peculiarities of each object and the resources available for intervention. This dissertation addresses some recent interventions in significant examples of modern architecture, verifying and analyzing some concepts, approaches and challenges inherent to these interventions.
It is therefore sought to understand the concepts of contemporary theories of conservation and restoration and their application and compatibility with the interventions of modern architecture, considering their peculiarities, approaches and challenges, and verifying how these challenges are solved by professionals of restoration in the case studies.