Memórias, ressignificações e percepções relacionadas ao patrimônio industrial compartilhado entre a cidade e a universidade: o lugar da UFPel no Porto de Pelotas, RS

Abstract

This research deals with the process of reusing industrial heritage by the Federal University of Pelotas, from the perspective of the community. The work is a case study on the extinct factories, which were acquired by UFPel, and which are located in the old industrial zone of the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. This place, which is popularly known as the "Zona do Porto", and which perceptibly includes the Porto, Balsa and Caieira districts, has been undergoing significant physical and functional changes in favor of the consolidation of this university. The research started from the identification of some problems that exist in this process of transforming the area and reusing the industrial heritage of the place. First, it was noticed that this transformation materialized in the area a potential diversity, which is latent, followed by an inexpressive community participation, and also by the inexistence of municipal management instruments that are sufficient to preserve the industrial heritage in a proper. The object of study is characterized by the search for aspects of the phenomenological relationships, developed between subjects and place, until then unknown. It is assumed that knowing and bringing to light different memories, meanings, and perceptions developed between the subjects and the place over time, can be an interesting way to expand the possibilities of creating more significant and diversified places for the entire community, as well as to promote other forms of preservation of industrial heritage, in its urban and architectural scales. The research took into account the historical trajectory of the place to propose a time frame in three periods – Industrial, Abandonment, University – and the population in three groups – former workers, urban explorers, academic community. This work is divided into two chapters, the first constitutes the theoretical framework, and the second its development. In the development, narratives of the academic community linked to the university period are presented, the narratives of urban explorers linked to the period of abandonment, and the narratives of former workers linked to the industrial period. The study shows the different relationships developed between subjects and industrial heritage, in their different scales, revealing the existence of values that go beyond the precedence of this heritage, which are generally related to the world of work, and to use values, tangible and intangible. They are related to the world of art, poetry and dreams.