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Oporto, World Heritage – The Classification and the Intervention
Liliana Patrícia Vasconcelos Pinto and Teresa Campos dos Santos
Department of Heritage Studies (History of Art) Faculty of Arts of the University of Oporto (FLUP),
Portugal.
In the context of the course unit, Project Seminar I, it was developed a research work about
Oporto, World Heritage, in order to check the main topics, which contributed to achieve this
distinctive hallmark. Then, we needed to analyse the measures that had been taken by the
responsible organisms, theoretically and technically, in the urban area, after classification. We
evaluated not only the importance that the Artistic Heritage had in the accomplishment of the
hallmark, but also the proceedings implemented with the purpose of value that Heritage. The
leading premise of our project was to try to understand if Oporto was putting at risk the
classification given by UNESCO.
The methodology applied divided the work in two different parts: the classification and the
intervention. At the beginning of the project, we investigated the quality of the information
available on the official sites related with this theme; afterwards, we consulted relevant
bibliography and we studied proposals and projects of intervention; at last, we had to go to the
fieldwork.
At the first part, we studied the project introduced by CRUARB to UNESCO, in order to
Oporto Historic Center be classified. Therefore, we related the Heritage Letters and
Conventions with the ideas that supported the candidacy. The point was to apprehend the
values claimed as an identity of the building landscape and decisive to the classification. A
second aim was to realize which had been the objectives, projects and goals with whom Oporto
had committed itself with UNESCO. At the second part, we investigated about the intervention
that follows the classification and previous projects that we had already mentioned. We
decided to analyse Oporto 2001 enterprise and 2008 Management Report, from SRU- Porto
Vivo (Urban Rehabilitation Society). In these projects, we tried to approach the main
intervention areas and sectors referred. At last, we studied two examples of the reutilization of
a monument, as a benefit to the city and to keep Oporto as a World Heritage: Ferreira Borges
Market and the project of Arts’ Palace.
After all the investigation, we achieved some conclusions and answers to the question – Is
Oporto, World Heritage hallmark in danger? -. Once we understood the values that
contributed to the classification of Oporto, Historic Center, we noticed the need of renewal
projects to the city, in order to maintain those values. As a result, we encounted an among of
organisms created with the purpose of serve this aim. We dealt with a huge quantity of
miscellaneous projects whose usually haven’t been put into effect. Then, it was clear for us the
gap between the intervention projects and the fieldwork; the divorce between 2001 Oporto and
the Historic Centre; what leaded us to conclude that the programming was utopian, bearing
resemblance with 2008 Management Report. Oporto stills suffering with a century of
abandonment and disrepair and it seems it hasn’t find a solution, yet. We testified that Oporto
lives the threat of become an unequal city. On one hand, a city with attractive and dynamic
areas and, on the other hand forbidden areas, where ghettos still dominating.
The maintenance of the hallmark has been sheltered in isolated interventions instead of the
integrated value of the classified Historic Centre.
228 3 rd meeting of young researchers at UP