ABSTRACT
When planning for any building conservation project, one must start with the understanding of the existent and be willing to accept the constraints this may create. In order to enable effective preservation of the built heritage it is important to start from meaningful data, reliable information and valid analysis.
As a case study for the final workshop presentation of the International Summer School “After the damages – Prevention and safety solutions through design and practice on existing built environment”, the group ME.MO.RIA selected Fortaleza de Santo Amaro de Barra Grande in Guarujá, Brazil. The site was chosen for an evaluation of the compatibility between the building and the collection housed. Specifically, all preservation goals for the historic building conservation were analysed while striking the balance with those of its collection. It is essential, in historic sites like this one, that the significance of the place is preserved together with the local communities’ identity.
The fortress, along with 18 others, has been elected by the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan-Brazil) for the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name of “Brazilian Fortresses Ensemble”. After a first analysis of the structural preservation state and a collection care survey, authors propose some reasonable and flexible approaches aiming at solving accessibility issues and context identity relevance as well as building improvements, space allocation and a new collection interpretation and long-term conservation plan.
