INTERVENTIONS ON EXPOSED CONCRETE SURFACES OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE: THE CASE OF THE CELPE (COMPANHIA ENERGÉTICA DE PERNAMBUCO) BUILDING

Abstract

The conservation of modern architecture is today a topic of great relevance for heritage, not only in Brazil, but also around the world. Despite facing several other challenges, preserving the material dimension in this architecture is still the main issue, and one that ignites most discussions among the professionals involved. Concrete was the main feature in modern Brazilian architecture. Much of the success of Brazilian architecture in the world was due to the skill with which this technique was developed in the country, and to the productive dialogue between architects and engineers. Between 1960 and 1970, concrete was explored as a form of expression in buildings, and left exposed and uncoated. Today, many of those buildings must go through procedures to preserve and restore them, including their structure. In this article, we examine the interventional procedures performed on the surfaces of concrete building CELPE - Companhia Energética de Pernambuco, a remarkable work of modern architecture in Pernambuco by architects Vital Pessoa de Melo and Reginaldo Esteves.