Dilemas na preservação da Arquitetura Moderna

The building of the School of Architecture of the Universidade de São Paulo (FAUUSP), designed in 1961 by architects João Batista Vilanova Artigas and Carlos Cascaldi, is emblematic of a specific moment of Brazilian architecture, featuring huge dimensions and the structural and plastic use of reinforced concrete. Its pedagogic program - clearly expressed in the building’s spatial concept -, based on Bauhaus teaching methods, soon assumed a character of opposition to the dictatorship government installed in 1964, aiming at the re-establishment of democracy and of civil rights. However, the pedagogic proposal - and its architectural counterpart - proved to be less permanent than expected; alterations and adaptations soon became necessary. The building also suffered the hardships which are typical of public institutions, such as insufficient money resources, lack of clearly stated responsabilities relating to the construction work, lack of proper maintenance, etc. Under such conditions, the extensive use of exposed concrete has shown a wide range of problems. On the other hand, the building’s symbolic values as well as formal and spatial qualities were publicly recognized as worthy of preservation, through its designation as a State monument in 1982. A short account of FAUUSP’s successive alterations and repairs will be presented, as a contribution to the debate about the preservation of modern architecture.