A ruína da contemporaneidade: valorização, preservação e projeto. Uma estratégia de intervenção na Central Termoelétrica do Freixo

Abstract

This dissertation proposes the development of the apparently contradictory relationship between 'ruin' and 'contemporaneity', exploring the subjective qualities of the two concepts and the possibilities of a inter-relationship or even a mutual valorization. The theme of the values acquired by a building over time has been discussed and systematized during the last two centuries, resulting in a series of definitions and concepts that are developed in the present dissertation. Considering the strategies proposed by the bodies responsible for preserving the architectural heritage of the twentieth century, and taking into account the formal and material characteristics of this architecture, examples of contemporary interventions ruined monuments whose main objectives are to preserve the documentary and material value are analyzed, as well as their narrative and expressive potential as a memory storage medium. For a framework of concepts and strategies studied, a proposal for intervention in the Central Termoelétrica do Freixo is presented, illustrative of the problems associated with the integration of the ruin in contemporary landscape, from the urban scale to the architectural detail, with a program that simultaneously respects the collective memory and material authenticity, and allows for the enjoyment and reuse of the building by the local communities. The work thus seeks to deepen concepts and strategies of intervention on the contemporary ruin, from its theoretical definition to its operative application, proposing to value , preserve and project the ruin for the people and for the future.