Modulações no tempo e no espaço: ascensão, declínio e patrimônio. Rua Riachuelo, Rio Grande, RS

Abstract

The subject of this thesis was urban cultural heritage, and its object of research was Riachuelo Street, located in the city of Rio Grande (RS), on the margins of the Laguna dos Patos Estuary. The goal was to analyze the three times of this coastal landscape: heyday, decline and heritage. The tangible sense was analyzed, considering the street, the pier, and the exterior of the buildings; and the intangible, evaluating everything from the perceptions of foreign travelers to the memories of those who lived there. The research techniques involved document collection, a literature review, interviews and a physical-photographic survey. The first chapter deals with the development and heyday of the street, from the 1820s onwards, presenting the creation of the city, the design of the street by embankments, the construction of the first stone pier and the old Alfândega building, and the presence and consolidation of the commercial houses that sold wholesale. The second chapter shows the transformations and forgetfulness of the street between 1915 and 1986, dealing with stagnation with the creation of Porto Novo, and analyzing the loss of character visible at some points from the 1940s onwards, when road transport in the state had its development. Reports from former residents and workers on the street were presented, showing their memories of the place. The same way, a designated federal and two restorations, considered exceptions in that time, were also evaluated. The third chapter dealt with memory and heritage between 1987 and the middle of 2023. The arrival of three museums on the street was presented, and the return of the Festa do Mar, which chose Riachuelo Street as its stage, was reported. The Architectural Competition for the Revitalization of Porto Velho, its motivations and results were presented. The legislation created to protect the street's immovable cultural heritage was exposed, as well as some important restorations and the discovery of the first stone pier, which was the theme of Rio Grande’s Heritage Week in 2023. The fourth chapter visually analyzed the three eras, presenting the elevation drawings of the blocks. It was observed that the street has lost many of its townhouse and single storey houses, but still has important remnants that carry its history and memories. In conclusion, it can be said that there is a desire for memory in relation to some parts of the street, but not all of it, and that publicizing the biography of this palimpsest and encouraging preservation actions could help transform the street into a place of memory in its entirety.