Heritage-listed at both the state and federal levels, Teatro Oficina, designed by Lina Bo Bardi and Edson Elito, is at risk of having its surroundings profoundly altered by the construction of two 100-meter-tall residential towers. The project, led by the Silvio Santos Group, was approved by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) during a meeting on May 29.
The land where the towers are planned is the subject of a dispute between Zé Celso Martinez Corrêa's theater company and the Silvio Santos Group, and is located directly next to the heritage-listed theater. The building features a massive 12-meter-wide side window that would be "boxed in" by the new development, according to a statement from the company.
In response to Iphan's decision, the theater company stated that “heritage protection agencies are historically fundamental institutions; however, we are currently facing a sadistic co-opting of these forces, which have been subjugated to the political practices of privatizing real estate speculation."
In a statement, the Heritage Institute clarified that the favorable ruling on the project “does not exempt the developer from seeking the necessary authorizations from other bodies, such as state and municipal heritage protection agencies”.
The company has released a schedule of demonstrations in support of Parque Bixiga—a proposed alternative to the real estate development—starting on June 4. Read the company's full statement here.
Source: Estadão.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
