In the Historic Center of Olinda, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco, architecture borrows shapes and colors from nature; cobogós perforations on the balconies look like round leaves and fruits, while the railings spiral with a hint of twisted flowers. The colors of the earth and sky also reappear in the floors, backyards, kitchens, and rooms of colonial houses, coating them in shades of brown and blue.
This architecture runs through the veins of graphic designer Renata Paes. Born on the outskirts of Olinda, Renata grew up with attentive eyes amidst the natural designs that adorned the houses and streets of her childhood. Her father, Antenor, a conservation architect, used to lead her by the hand on long walks, pointing out the moving architectural details of the upper town of Olindean, whose historic center was recognized by the Iphan (Institute of National Historic and Artistic Heritage) in 1968 and declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1982.
"I grew up hearing my father's stories about tiles and railings, and the importance of preserving local architecture. When I had to choose my graduation work, I realized how much this graphic memory permeated my childhood, so I decided to dedicate myself to these deteriorated elements," she says.
This dedication resulted in an map of her architectural memories intertwined with those of the city of Pernambuco. In 2017, she completed her Design course at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) with the launch of Graphic Memory of Architecture in Olinda, a sensitive photographic record of some of the elements that make up the identity of the region.
Drift Rides: How the Catalog Begins
To delve into Olinda's graphic memory, Renata started by doing what her father taught her: she wandered around the city. The first part of the mapping consisted of walking through the streets where she grew up, following paths not very different from those that were part of her daily life: "I repeated experiences, such as the paths that led me to a friend's house, a market, or a bar."
During the journeys, Renata made photographic records of the elements that most caught her attention. In addition to the architectural objects that she was used to seeing, such as tiles or cobogós, she also photographed the facades of houses –from colonial constructions to neoclassical buildings – as well as some of the graffiti and paintings that color the city.
Looking at the more than two hundred photographs taken across the 15 mapped streets, Renata noticed in them a common design denominator: modular graphic expressions. The designer explains: "The modules are architectural elements that are repeated in panels, but they can also work in isolation, as in tiles."
She then chose four artifacts to map: cobogós, tiles, gratings, and hydraulic tiles:
Cobogó
"An original Pernambuco element, its name is an acronym of its three creators: CO-imbra, BO-eckmann and GO-és. It is inspired by the muxarabi, an Arabic wooden architectural element. Its function is to bring light and ventilation into the house while still preserving privacy. Most of the cobogós I documented were on the walls."
Railings
"The railing appears as a protective element very similar to the cobogó, allowing the entry of the wind and sunlight. There are two types of railings: the organic and sinuous, which are mainly found in old buildings, and the geometric, which are seen in newer buildings far from the city center."
Tiles
"Brought by Portuguese ships in colonial times, tiles protect the façade and reflect heat. The designs have Portuguese and French influences, most with floral or organic themes. Blue and white are the predominant colors, followed by yellow."
Hydraulic Tiles
"Considered a flooring material with low environmental impact, the hydraulic tile is cured in water, skipping the fire stage. It is made with natural materials, placed in a press, and then immersed in water for 24 hours. It serves as a substitute for marble and burnt coatings."
Gossip and Open Doors: Getting to Know Olinda's Neighbors
If the first part of the mapping was concentrated in wanderings and photographic records, the second was built from opening the doors to the houses from which the four modular elements were mapped. "It started as a chain of gossip," says Renata, recalling the moment. "I would go into someone's house, they would point me to their neighbor who had such a tile, which would then take me to another corner behind a cobogó. I toured the city from house to house, showing photographs and listening to statements such as: 'Ah, my mother had a house like that!' or 'My grandmother's patio had tiles like that!'"
Research based on affection, sipping a coffee on the couch, and the development of relationships between design and people has generated malleable cartography that exceeds conventional academic rigidity. "I utilized the theories of philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guatarri to put together an affective cartography. In it, the researcher and the environment are intimately related, and all the people found, from the inhabitant of the house to the popcorn seller in the center, are producers of precious knowledge."
Catalog to Preserve Heritage
The approach of talking to the neighbors and owners of these architectural objects revealed that affection exists between inhabitants and their heritage, which can trigger strong memories, even those of what has been lost. There were houses, for example, where hydraulic tiles were found in the hallways and bedrooms, but not in the kitchen, which were lined with ceramic tiles instead. Although they have been protected as a historical heritage site, the houses of Olinda have suffered political oversight regarding the preservation of their characteristics, Renata points out.
More than an imaging study of traditional architecture or a work aimed solely at course completion, today Renata sees the catalog as an awareness-raising tool for residents to recognize the importance of their own cultural heritage. Discovering the power of the objects that adorn their houses, they can become true guardians of the history carved in iron and ceramic. "If before I thought that the most attractive part of the catalog would be the identification of architectural objects, today what I want to emphasize the most is my contact with neighbors," sums up the designer.
The catalog, available on the Ciudades Educadoras platform, presents 52 photographs of the four elements studied, as well as their vectors available for public use. "My intention is to expand the catalog, add photographs, and improve the text. I want to better explore the topic and get in touch with the people again. And then, finally, publish it to bring people closer to the preservation of this architectural and affective heritage."
Via Portal Aprendiz. Originally published January 30, 2018, updated October 8, 2019.
