The History of Iron Architecture in Belém (PA): From the Apogee to the Disappearance of Entirely Metal Buildings From the Belle Époque

Abstract

The use of iron in architecture was intensified from the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and its influence spread worldwide, including Brazil. In Belém (PA) the iron architecture and other metallic architectural elements, imported from several European countries, were a significant part of the Belle Époque, a period of great city growth, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although they have historical, technological and architectural value, many of these buildings no longer exist, or are disappearing: they were dismounted due to urban growth and were not reassembled, as well as being subject to urban interventions that were disrespectful to the building specificities. The particularities of iron architecture buildings, especially related to the possibility of disassembly and reassembly, are often inadequately interpreted, or little discussed, in intervention actions. Such type of architecture, in its essence, has a constructive system that supports transformations, however, it is necessary to reflect on the use of this constructive specificity in the face of changes related to the building conservation. The objective of this article is to approach the historical trajectory of all-metal buildings from their assembly to the present day in Belém, including the permanence and absences, as well as discuss the values and significance attributed to these buildings on their recognition as cultural heritage. For the historical research, primary sources (textual and iconographic) were used, including documents and local newspapers, from the end of the 19th and 20th centuries, referring to the importation of buildings, the period of assembly and subsequent disassembly.