ABSTRACT
This texts deals with the preservation of modern architecture schools in São Paulo, specifically the Vilanova Artigas building, headquarters of the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo. This case study is very significant not only due to the architectural importance of the building, but also because it was studied in research funded by the Keeping It Modern grant initiative from the Getty Foundation. To structure the discussion, some notes on the preservation system in Brazil will be briefly presented pinpointing two aspects: although modern architecture has been protected since the beginnings of the federal preservation office, the potentiality of historic research and the tools suggested by the Constitution to protect modern heritage are not systematically used; research aimed at conservation, especially preventive conservation, is still very rare, and this entails several problems for built heritage. Thus, issues related to the elaboration of a preventive conservation plan for the Vilanova Artigas Building (KIM initiative) will be presented, encompassing its characteristics, structure, and questions raised by the plan. In the final discussion, some of the challenges of implementing a conservation plan will be highlighted: it requires studies, planning, constant monitoring, structured actions over time and an effort to make the plan truly guide institutional practices. The need to integrate the knowledge offered by several disciplinary fields at all stages will also be stressed.
