Stadium of Pacaembu: from the stage of emotions to the giant without owner

Abstract

In this article, we reflect on the insertion of Brazilian soccer in global dynamics in recent years, considering the recent international events in Brazil – the Confederations Cup (2013) and the Fifa World Cup (2014). There is a claim for the modernization of most Brazilian stadiums, related to the so-called “Fifa rules” for building stadiums and the “dream of the new arena” as a desire to represent the greatness of Brazilian soccer teams. How does this panorama relates to the preservation of Brazilian stadiums as cultural heritage? To investigate this question, we analyzed the Stadium of Pacaembu, in São Paulo, considered as cultural heritage by Conpresp (1988) and Condephaat (1990). This article will analyze how the modernization and privatization of the Stadium, based on the argument that it is underused and has high maintenance costs, relate to the vision of the stadium as cultural heritage and public equipment. Therefore, this study considers three mainly aspects: the importance of Pacaembu to the collective memory and social identity; how the interested parts in privatizing the stadium handle the dynamics from other important stadiums in the city; and deepening the knowledge on recent debates between preservation agencies, public administration, neighborhood associations and other agents involved with the question.