A Biblioteca Pública Municipal do Porto: das Origens à Contemporaneidade. Compreensão do Sentido e Processos de Sucessiva Adaptação e transformação do Convento de Santo António

Abstract

This Master´s Dissertation is aimed at developing the intervention in the architectural heritage. The research subject of this work is the Municipal Library of Porto. Taking into account the subject matter, in the first chapter it is developed an analysis of different views regarding on how to intervene in this field. For this matter, the starting point was examining various Charters and points of view of different authors that approach distinguished ways of understanding the interference in architectural heritage, so it can reveal different hypothesis of intervening to the preservation, restoration and renovation associated to the building's preservation, improvement and renovation. To complete this reflection related to the established case study, it has been realised an analysis on the evolution of the particular program for a library, since the antiquity till contemporaneity. It emphasizes a set of references that allowed mixing different periods of time and identifying ways of thinking for this specific plan. The idea of that is to determine principles and to suggest program hypotheses that allow the adjustment and update of the equipment to the nowadays requirements and conditions of use in construction. Chapter two highlights the subject of study, the Municipal Library of Porto, contextualizing it in time from its origin to what was associated to a religious activity while Convento de Santo António until it was decisively located there the Municipal Library of Porto. In order to complete this review, there are provided two chronologies, so the evolving sequence of different modifications of the building can be cleared and comprehensive: initially - at structural level and later - at inner level. This sequence introduces the different changes for the program, having the purpose to make it welcoming and it develops restoration and preservation works in places with visible damages. The third chapter includes the analysis of the construction and its program in the current context, recognising the various rooms that form the Library. It represents both, the open access and the place for the management of this building. It is also a place of different ways of circulation based on plants, cuttings and elevations design. In the end, it is presented a proposal of intervention in the building and in the empty area of the location. It is aimed to create solutions in order to add and improve the existing program, as well as giving a feedback to the restrictions due to lack of space, so this existent heritage can be hosted.