Rosa Damasceno Theater

The Rosa Damasceno Theater over time had an enormous importance in the city of Santarém, is a cultural reference, a social meeting full of memories. recently worked as a cinema, then a total abandonment, comes to us a forgotten building that suffered a fire that devastated completely, leaving only the facade.
After an investigation of history of this unique building and several interviews, i felt i should do something to restore dignity to this place, let us not forget the hurt that exists among many people of Santarém, forgetfulness cultural reference. it is essential to restore this place. We must have to intervene with a contemporary view.
In my view, it makes no sense to keep the existing building, is too degraded and the human needs of today are very different than the 50 years ago. what motivates people to use certain spaces? not its aesthetic, but its uses, the identity of the Rose Damasceno theater is not the facade, are the memories of shows, social gatherings, politicians and intellectuals. when we ask what people remember of the Rosa Damasceno, the answer is unanimous: the theater, music, magazine, the electoral campaign, etc we can only conclude that an intervention insensitive to these responses, will further fragment a city with an identity fragmented.

When looking at that place, immediately saw its potential, the entire landscape that is in its rear, the route that has been done since the door bearing to the gates of the sun, a place that can be attended at various levels.
Once i decided to permeability, so people can go through this new space, they can do a course and obtain a landscape so scalabitana. after the creation of new volumes with different s, being the largest, the main, the venue and events, which can meet the new requirements. the other volume is for rehearsal rooms, it offers several lessons for cultural issues, is a space to be used in everyday life and to complement the building in front (circulo cultural scalabitana). the last volume, and the lowest, but with one major, wants to be a social meeting, but also of culture, by which includes a gallery exhibition.

I think that my contribution serves to give birth to an important issue that is forgotten, a reminder that santarem is a city full of history, but a city to use and not just to look at.