Arnelas: revitalização urbana de um núcleo histórico no Douro

Abstract

In the present thesis, Arnelas - Revitalization of a historical nucleus in Douro, it's proposed the elaboration of a plan that gathers several strategies of urban requalification and rehabilitation of a group of existing buildings located in an old historical nucleus. These nucleus are bearers of stories, values and testimonies left by our ancestors, but their identity isn't limited to monuments or buildings with a singular character. Having as a focus of analysis the place of Arnelas and considering the inclusion of this place in a possible tourism route, this work is concentrated on the importance and pertinence of the interventions in these old nucleus and presents a reflection on the forms of action in consolidated places, but somehow neglected or forgotten, which reveal obvious needs for modernization and adaptation to the demands of the urban living of today. Integrated rural tourism activity can contribute to promote environmental conservation, protect and restorate the built heritage and consequently result in economic, social and territorial revitalization of the most degraded areas. This dissertation is divided into three parts: the first chapter deals with the definition of heritage, with brief references to restoration theories and different attitudes of intervention that may be useful for our future action; seeks an understanding of the definition of historical nucleus, in order to clarify the concept of revitalization and the intervention methods that complete it. In the second chapter, an analysis of intervention strategies is developed, in a way to understand attitudes, design processes and modes of action, defined by the architects Fernando Távora and Eduardo Souto de Moura, in the requalification projects of the Historical Centers of Guimarães and Valença, respectively. The third chapter dedicated to the object of study and practical case, consists on the elaboration of a strategic plan of urban revitalization of the old historical nucleus, that aims to dynamize the village of Arnelas in the physical, economic and social aspects. It is an exercise based on a real situation - the rehabilitation of the existing old buildings located in a historical cluster - which reveals an opportunity for reflection on the theme of intervention in an urban context. Since there has been a lot of thoughts on the rehabilitation of buildings, but not so much on the importance of the rehabilitation of the surrounding public space, appears a need to understand and clarify the impact of the degraded agglomerate on the rehabilitated building, since it presents itself inadequate to the current way of life and to the strictest requirements that the building rehabilitation requires.