O Bairro do Monte Pedral - Bases para uma proposta de reabilitação

Abstract

On the initiative of the newspaper "O Comércio do Porto", the year 1899 witnessed the creation of one of Porto's first social housing projects - the Bairro do Monte Pedral, designed by the architect Marques da Silva. In spite of not being a classified work, its relevance is recognized in the Carta de Valores Arquitectónicos of the Porto City Hall. Also, this project is of particular importance, not only because it was one the first ventures into social housing, but also because of its author, the architect Marques da Silva, an unavoidable figure in the history of the city's architecture. Nowadays, the Bairro do Monte Pedral shows clear signs of degradation and countless deviations from the original project that undermine its character. The purpose of this study is to frame the Bairro in the social, economic and architectural context of the time of its origin, demonstrating its importance and the need for its rehabilitation. After an analysis of the clandestine modifications made to the project and the current problems revealed to us, an intervention proposal is drafted, seeking to reconcile the needs of the current residents with the existing cultural assets and heritage.