EXPLORE LAB 15
Technical University of Delft
BRIDGING PARAISÓPOLIS:
PERVERTING MODERNISM
REFLECTION REPORT
“...TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TO ADAPT TO THE RULES OF THE FAVELAS, IN OTHER WORDS,
YOU MUST KNOW THE REASONS WHY DID THEY EMERGE, HOW DID THEY GROW AND DEVELOP.”
Stefano Boeri
“PEOPLE CAN INHABIT ANYTHING. AND THEY CAN BE MISERABLE IN ANYTHING AND ECSTATIC IN ANYTHING. MORE AND MORE I THINK THAT ARCHITECTURE HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH IT.”
Rem Koolhaas
“A SPACE IS NOT A PLACE UNTILL IS USED FOR A PURPOSE OTHER THAN WHICH THE DESIGNER INTENDED.”
David Engwicht
Maximiliano Segalla Fabris
4191021
PRODUCT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Favelas have been problematized with conventional paradigms, in
most of the cases, with short term or without any success. Fortunately,
nowadays, the issue that has been discussed about them is no longer
on the removal or relocation of its inhabitants to areas outside the city.
The urbanization of these areas has become a vested and an indisputable right. The question is no longer just social and political, but
also includes the cultural and aesthetics dimensions.
Besides being part of our culture and artistic heritage, favelas
emerge through a unique vernacular architectural and urban process,
which not only differs from, but is the vey opposite of the traditional
design tools from architecture and urbanism scholars. It also composes
its own aesthetic, which can be labelled as the ‘aesthetic of favelas’
or the ‘favela pattern’. This aesthetic is completely different from the
aesthetics of, what is so called, the ‘formal city’, and has singular characteristics.
The rational logic of the architects and planners is still relevant
and they end up imposing their own aesthetic, which is related to
the ‘formal city’. So to say, the favela should become a ‘formal’ neighbourhood for a better integration with the rest of the city to become
possible.
Faveals are part of the city for over a century. The favelas emerged
before the dense occupation of cities and the domination of real estate
interests. Following this logic, is a formal integration needed? Wouldn’t
this be an authoritarian imposition of a formalistic aesthetic towards a
standardization of the urban fabric?
Most of the current urbanization projects end up causing the destruction of the original architecture and urban fabric of the favelas in
order to create impersonal spaces. Why to not accept the aesthetic
of the favelas as legitimate rather than apply architectural and urban
aesthetics expectations from traditional practice? Why the traditional
standards, learned in the academies, are always the examples to be
imposed rather them the inventive and rich, both culturally and formally ‘favela pattern’? Why to not try to learn from the ‘favela pattern’
formal complexity and richness?
P2 Reflection Report
Name: Student #:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Maximiliano Segalla Fabris
4191021
Vestpoort 9, 2611ME, Delft.
06 25185788
[email protected]
Studio:
Explore Lab
Teachers: Jan van de Voort (building technology)
John Heintz (research)
Marc Schoonderbeek (design)
Daan Vitner (external examiner)
Title:
Bridging Paraisópolis:
Perverting Modernism
A different way of acting, inspired by the favelas, could be interesting, not just for the favelas themselves, but for the city as whole,
specially to its borders and frontiers, where architects and urban planners tend to find serious difficulties of intervention, especially due to
the lack of the traditional architecture and urban procedures to adequate themselves to these cotemporary extreme urban conditions.
A critical questioning facing the ingenuity and complexity of the
favelas’ spaces seemed to me almost inevitable for any architect, especially for those who believed in or were influenced by the simplicity
of the modernist doctrine. A ‘new urbanism’ must take in account the
complexity and indeterminacy of the contemporary context of the cities.
GOAL
To act in a different way towards the ortodox discourse and design
of the favelas, prioritizing their qualities rather than imposing traditional solutions.
To explore the richness (spatial, cultural, social, and others) of
the favelas, in order to understand the peculiarities which form those
spaces, and apply those aspects in the design.
To find the proper balance between romanticizing and problematizing the favelas.
PROCESS
REFLECTION
METHOD DESCRIPTION
RELEVANCE
Mapping the spatial conditions, and hidden forces of the Favela
Paraisópolis. Elaborate diagrams, maps, physical and digital models,
texts, and drawings. Visit the site and talk with local authorities, planners, and inhabitants. Research on a wide range of aspects, such
as history, cultural, social and economic issues, mapping, diagrams,
representation of unstable conditions and related topics among them
all. Get involved in activities related to the favela’s inhabitants, such as
internet based forums for discussion and news of the community and
NGO’s digital discussion forums. Case studies of past projects related
to my design.
To contribute to the discourse over Favelas. To think and act within a different perspective about these spaces, neither grassroots, neither top down. To depicted the Favela to general public, in a didactic
way, showing its problems and qualities. To demystify the label ‘just
problems’ inherent to the context, approaching the ‘formal city’ and
the ‘informal city’ beyond, than just, the economic and labour sphere.
LITERATURE AND GENERAL PRACTICE PREFERENCE
In this section there is a list with the most important sources for
the development of the work. Further, within the research booklet, a
full list with references will be given.
BOOKS
ARTICLES
Castello branco, Renata. PARAISÓPOLIS, UMA CIDADE DENTRO DA
OUTRA. Fortaleza: Tempo D’Imagem, 2012.
Alexander, Christopher. A CITY IS NOT A TREE.
Castello, Lineu. A PERCEPÇÃO DE LUGAR: REPENSANDO O CONCEITO DE LUGAR EM ARQUITETURA-URBANISMO. Porto Alegre:
PROPAR-UFRGS, 2007.
Davis, Mike. PLANETA FAVELA. São Paulo: Boitempo Editorial, 2006.
Debord, Guy. SOCIETY OF THE SPETACLE. Detroit: Black & Red, 1983.
Fix, Mariana. PARCEIROS DA EXCLUSÃO: DUAS HISTÓRIAS DA CONSTRUÇÃO DE UMA “NOVA CIDADE” EM SÃO PAULO: FARIA LIMA E
ÁGUA ESPRAIADA. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2001.
Fix, Mariana. SÃO PAULO CIDADE GLOBAL: FUNDAMENTOS FINANCEIROS DE UMA MIRAGEM. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2007.
Grossman, Vanessa. A ARQUITETURA E O URBANISMO REVISITADOS PELA INTERNACIONAL SITUACIONISTA. São Paulo: Annablume;
Fapesp, 2006.
Jacobs, Jane. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMERICAN CITIES.
New York: Vintage Books, 1992.
Jacques, Paola Berenstein. A ESTÉTICA DA GINGA - A ARQUITETURA
DAS FAVELAS ATRAVÉS DA OBRA DE HÉLIO OITICICA. Rio de Janeiro:
Casa da Palavra, 2011.
Kon, Sergio; Duarte, Fabio. A (DES)CONSTRUÇÃO DO CAOS. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2008.
Lévi-strauss, Claude. THE SAVAGE MIND: THE NATURE OF HUMAN
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Reis filho, Nestor Goulart. QUADRO DA ARQUITETURA NO BRASIL.
São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2002.
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To understand the history of Paraisópolis it is needed to go back
to 1921. The area where the favela is located today was part of Fazenda do Morumbi which was divided in 2200 plots by União Mútua
Companhia Construtora e Crédito Popular S.A. The infrastructure of
the allotment has not been fully implemented and many of those which
purchased plots have never taken actual possession neither paid the
taxes.
That is, as has been verified many times in the history of São
Paulo, public or private developments which had not been completed
eventually become abandoned regions. For this reason they became a
call for informal occupation.
Today Paraisópolis complex is considered the second largest favela in the city of São Paulo with 55,590 people and 20,832 properties
(officially), plus a network of civil institutions working in social projects
within the community. Paraisópolis is divided into 5 parts (Grotinho,
Grotão, Brejo, Antonico and Centro) and has two other adjacent favelas (Jardim Colombo and Porto Seguro) originated around the same
time as Paraisópolis.
Paraisópolis has a peculiar characteristic which distinguishes it
from most of Brazilian favelas. The slum is located on a regular urban
grid, which is reminiscent of the first urbanization project for the area.
The idea of creating
​​
a regular allotment ended up creating one of the
most paradoxical spatial conditions in the city, where formal and informal city layers overlap.
In Paraisópolis the “center”, not as geographic location but as the
hub of specific activities, is not limited to a single point as in the traditional city, not just to the edges like most of the slums, but it is found
throughout the area, specifically along the urban grid. Thus, virtually
all the blocks’ boundaries are “center”.
The region of Grotão due topographical reasons interrupts the
continuity of the orthogonal urban fabric. That is, what should have
been divided into smaller blocks turned into a super cluster of shacks
located in risk areas with the largest urban, economic and social problems of the whole community.
The design is concerned to reconnect the Grotão with the rest of
the community. The proposal was to create a bridge that allows vertical
connections that act in local level and a horizontal connection which
is the continuation of the grid that performs in a higher urban level.
The structure was designed so that its program can be modified
P4 Reflection Report
Name: Student #:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Maximiliano Segalla Fabris
4191021
Vestpoort 9, 2611ME, Delft.
06 25185788
[email protected]
Studio:
Explore Lab
Teachers: Jan van de Voort (building technology)
John Heintz (research)
Marc Schoonderbeek (design)
Daan Vitner (external examiner)
Title:
Bridging Paraisópolis:
Perverting Modernism
easily with low cost. The project contains a school, a library, a sports
zone, green areas, spaces for temporary activities (fairs, exhibitions, or
any activity that does not require special infrastructure) plus a street
for light vehicles. In a way, the bridge is part of the urban grid.
The bridge operates in a highly urban level. The connection can
be used to improve other areas of Paraisópolis besides Grotão with the
least possible impact on existing buildings. In an architectural context,
the interesting point of the project is it to be a very flexible open
structure.
Structure can be evaluated emotionally; envelopes will surely also
be. Structure and envelope can be separated from each other. User’s
emotions might change. However, structure (the skeleton) is the most
unchangeable component of the architectural artefact and can only be
changed with great difficulty. Envelopes can be changed relatively easily. The function map (which is concerned to the user of the building)
is what can be changed most easily.
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P5 is a moment that deserves a self-criticism rather than a design
explanation. The path until this moment was long, though and pleasurable. It was a period where I learned a lot and shared my experiences
with people of diverse knowledge. In every learning process there are
always setbacks from which you can learn even more.
To not present my P5 a month after P4 came to me in a very
surprising away. First I was very upset with the situation but it ended
up in a clearer and consistent self-critic conclusion. Staying away from
the design and research a couple months and then returning to them
with fresh mind showed me exactly where are the weaknesses of it.
The research started not so clear. I was floating over a lot of
different topics and trying to reach them all at the same time. In the
middle of the process I had to choose in which direction my research
was going. I had two options. The first was to discuss about the spatial
conditions of the favelas focusing more on Paraisópolis. The second
alternative was to research about the favelas’ dwellers. I chose for the
second option because as an architect I believe that we design for the
people primarily. My research had no directly relationship with my final
design. On the other hand it made me realize that when working in a
favela context architects are not heroes, somehow are powerless. The
best we can do is design spaces or draw strategies to improve the public space, the accessibility, the use of risk areas, infra-structure and so
on. We as architects cannot change the social and economic situation
of the favela’s inhabitants but we can give them improvements on their
spatial conditions of living.
I believe today that the power of my design is not focused on the
program which it contains, rather in the urban scale by reconnecting
the former urban grid, the provision of new accesses to the bottom of
the valley which is isolated from the rest of the community, and the
provision of an empty land as public space which can be filled with the
most diverse program according to the population needs and wills, or
it can remains programless as a pure public territory.
The project has been already shown to the community via Gilson,
the community leader, through their website and few other means.
So far it has been accepted really well by the local population and the
urban planners and NGO’s that work in that area. On the hand there
are few people skeptical about the size of the intervention, but these
people really believe in the idea of reconnecting the grid.
I am really glad that I could show the project to the community
and open up a new discussion in the context.
P5 Reflection Report
Name: Student #:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Maximiliano Segalla Fabris
4191021
Vestpoort 9, 2611ME, Delft.
06 25185788
[email protected]
Studio:
Explore Lab
Teachers: Jan van de Voort (building technology)
John Heintz (research)
Marc Schoonderbeek (design)
Daan Vitner (external examiner)
Title:
Bridging Paraisópolis:
Perverting Modernism