MONUMENTS AND MUSEUMS

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1 MONUMENTS AND MUSEUMS TWO MUSEUM SPACES IN SÃO JORGE CASTLE, LISBON Rita Nobre Neto da Silva Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon 2014 ABSTRACT The increasing recognition of the value of heritage and the parallel development of the museum sector, in number and programmatic diversity, has valued, especially since the mid-twentieth century, the reintegration of buildings, often classified as monuments, for the allocation of museum programmes. This research work aims to study the relationship between monuments and museum practice, developing a thorough reflection based on the analysis of the two complementary museum spaces, recently inaugurated in São Jorge Castle, Lisbon. Although acting upon places of distinct features, the Museum Centre (project by Victor Mestre and Sofia Aleixo, ) and the Archaeological Site Centre (authored by João Luís Carrilho da Graça, ) evidence a continuity that ensures that heritage is presented as an integral part of its physical and cultural context. Both projects substantiate, in unique ways, the introduction of the museum programme in a space of historical character, by differentiating between new and preexisting architectures, by opting for the interventions reversibility and by respecting the authenticity of the site. The architectural and archaeological heritage that composes the Castle, understood as a value in itself, is thus enriched by the museum programme, establishing a renewed dialogue between the past and the present. Keywords: heritage; museum architecture; musealization of heritage; São Jorge Castle, Lisbon. INTRODUCTION The increasing acknowledgment of heritage, throughout the twentieth century, has favoured the parallel development of museum architecture, long associated with the integration of exhibition spaces in historic buildings that have survived beyond their original functions. São Jorge Castle, in Lisbon, has been the subject of various actions of conservation and restoration, among which stands out DGEMN s 1 intervention ( ). More recently, the museum projects directed by the architects Victor Mestre / Sofia Aleixo ( ) and João Luís Carrilho da Graça ( ), both settled within the walls of the Castle, introduce a renewed interplay between preexistence and contemporary work, assuming a significant part in the conservation of a noteworthy Portuguese monument. 1 Direção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (General Directorate for National Buildings and Monuments). 1

2 Considering these two museum spaces as case studies, this research work has the overall aim to analyse the contribution of architecture and museum practice for the preservation of heritage, along with its context and its social presence in the realm of the twenty-first century. Although international restoration charters date from the twentieth century, the concern for the conservation of architectural heritage has been highly considered, especially since the eighteenth century. In fact, the French Revolution ( ) motivated [ ] the concept of historical monument and the measures of preservation (museums, inventories, classification, re-use) associated there with 2, envisioning the museum as a public cultural facility. In the nineteenth century, restoration doctrines start to develop, opposing the conflicting views of Viollet-le-Duc ( ) and John Ruskin ( ). Additionally, the consolidation of the museum concept dictates an era of notable museum construction. The first half of the twentieth century instigated a shift of perspective founded within Camillo Boito s ( ) theory of Modern Restoration, which firstly introduced the need of distinction between old and new. Boito begins a gradual movement from individual to institutional theories, heading the Italian school also represented by Luca Beltrami s ( ) theory of Historical Restoration, and by Gustavo Giovannoni s ( ) theory of Scientific Restoration theories that had utmost influence in the alignment of the Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments (1931). The first decades of the century and the Modern Movement reject the [ ] historicist values of neoclassical models that dominated museum architecture for over a century 3 ; nevertheless the museum turns out to demonstrate an outstanding development, especially after the Second World War. In Portugal, the First Republic ( ), established [ ] a first coherent system of protection, safeguard, preservation and transmission of the Portuguese cultural heritage 4, a quest in which the museum assumed an unprecedented importance. The extinction of the Religious Orders (1834), and the handover of the Church s assets to the State (1911), resulted in the integration of museum collections in historic buildings, causing a consequent increase in the number of museums: Hence, we can speak of a direct relationship between the development of [ ] [the museum] programme and the concept of heritage intervention 5. In the following Estado Novo dictatorship, DGEMN s action was determinant, conducting 2 Françoise Choay Alegoria do Património. 2 nd Edition. Lisbon: Edições 70, January 2013, p. 27 [in Portuguese]. 3 Helena Barranha Arquitectura de museus e iconografia urbana: concretizar um programa / construir uma imagem, in LOPES, João Teixeira and SEMEDO, Alice (Coord.) Museus, Discursos e Representações. Oporto: Afrontamento, 2006, p.182 [in Portuguese]. 4 Jorge Custódio A obra patrimonial da Primeira República ( ) in CUSTÓDIO, Jorge (Coord.) 100 Anos de Património. Memória e Identidade. Portugal Lisbon: IGESPAR, 2010, p. 85 [in Portuguese]. 5 Ana Tostões El museo como programa en la arquitectura contemporánea in NOLASCO, Maria da Luz (Coord.) Museos y museología en Portugal. Una ruta ibérica para el futuro. Monographic number of the magazine Revista de Museología, Asociación Española de Museólogos, 1997, p. 130 [in Spanish]. 2

3 restoration works clearly influenced by Le-Duc s reconstitution principles. The museum was then perceived as a political act of nationalistic propaganda. In the post Second World War period, the Venice Charter (1964) established the use of modern materials, the concept of authenticity, and the distinction between old and new notions that had been anticipated by Carlo Scarpa ( ) in the Museo Civico de Castelvecchio, Verona ( ), an example of reintegration of a historic building for a museum programme. The cultural and ideological changes initiated in the 60s dictated substantial changes in the design of exhibition spaces, responding to the emergence of the tourism era and the globalization of the museum. Multifunctionalism is a paramount concept in the last decades of the twentieth century, expressing the ethical challenges facing restoration practices, exhibiting a wide variety of methods and a series of controversial examples. Therefore, at the opening of the twenty first century, the Krakow Charter (2000) and the ICOMOS Charter Principles for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage (2003) incite a new cycle aiming to minimize heritage interventions. Accordingly, these charters specify a set of principles and guidelines for the conservation and restoration of buildings and highlight the concepts of minimal intervention and reversibility. The adaptation of historic buildings to museum programmes accounts, especially since the 80s, for a large number of quality examples in Portugal. As a matter of fact, approximately 90% of the institutions integrating the RPM6 are currently installed in converted buildings7. The museums analysed in this paper, both located inside the perimeter of São Jorge Castle, illustrate this trend in a remarkable way. SÃO JORGE CASTLE 01. Location of the Museum Centre (1) and the Archaeological Site Centre (2). JLCG Architects, 2010 (adapted). 6 Rede Portuguesa de Museus (Portuguese Museum Network). Helena Barranha Os Museus como Requalificação do Património, 2012, available at: < [in Portuguese]. 7 3

4 Although primitive occupations of São Jorge Castle date back to the Iron Age (seventh century b. C.), the fortification results mainly from the Islamic presence in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. King Afonso Henriques conquered the Castle in 1147, and prosperity was kept until the early sixteenth century, when King Manuel I moved his permanent residence downtown, voting the Castle to oblivion. With the integration of Portugal in the Spanish Crown ( ), military life returned to the Castle. This role prevailed until the nineteenth century, when the Castle remained crowded with military quarters. The Castle was classified as national monument in 1910, remaining, however, in a situation of degradation until 1938, when DGEMN started the restoration works. Within this framework, the Castle was rebuilt according to its Islamic foundation and the changes made over time were ignored to favour the period that was convenient for the regime s ideology. Even though the intervention responded to the deterioration of the monument, DGEMN s action was guided by ideals that overlapped those of architectural heritage integration, proceeding in accordance to widely debatable criteria and disregarding the international principles that began to set forth in Europe. Even though the work is precedent to the Venice Charter, it ignores the contributions of Boito, Giovannoni and the Athens Charter. Instead, it follows Le-Duc s doctrine, far more compatible with the regime s propagandistic and nationalistic intent. The last decade of the twentieth century inaugurated a new phase in the Castle s restoration. Starting in 1995, the Integrated Project of the Castle regarded the reintegration of the urban settlement surrounding the fortress, aiming at a closer relation between the monumental area and the civil neighbourhood. Similarly, the recent Assisted Pedestrian Route Between Baixa Pombalina 8 and São Jorge Castle ( ) facilitated the access to the monument. In 1996, archaeological works were initiated in the ancient residential area of Praça Nova, leading to the discovery of a set of structures dating back to the Iron Age; remains of two Islamic houses; and a paved surface belonging to the Bishop s Palace and afterwards to the Santiago Counts Palace. The scientific and historical relevance of the findings justified their musealization in the form of two projects: the Museum Centre, where the archaeological objects are displayed, and the Archaeological Site Centre, where the visitor can interpret the items exhibited in the Museum. Working as complementary museum spaces in preexisting architectures, the projects joint action is strengthened by their closeness, which prevents the dispersion of the findings, and ensures that heritage is presented as an integral part of its context. Accordingly, the in situ musealization is clearly justified. 8 The Pombaline Lower Town was constructed after the 1755 Earthquake and is located in downtown central Lisbon. 4

5 MUSEUM CENTRE 02. Museum entrance. Rita Neto Silva, Sections. Victor Mestre / Sofia Aleixo Architects, The collection exhibited at the Museum Centre ( ) is mainly constituted by the objects found in the archaeological area of Praça Nova, and it offers an exciting reading of the cultures and civilizations that inhabited the Castle since the Iron Age. Located in the former Royal Palace of the Citadel, the Museum includes the Ogival Room, a space for temporary exhibitions and various cultural events; the Column Room, where the Islamic period is exhibited (In the Citadel of Al-Uxbuna); and the Cistern Room, where the chronology of the Castle occupations until the eighteenth century is displayed (Other Experiences). The project authored by Victor Mestre (b.1957) and Sofia Aleixo (b.1967) is closely related with the archaeological campaign, ensuring an understanding of the findings and of their anthropological meaning. The project seeks to complement the functional needs of the existing building, qualifying it for the museum programme with the concern to integrate the exhibition: the main aim is to show the objects9. Given the limited exhibition space and the profusion of remains, the objects were carefully selected according to their scientific relevance, constituting a logical storyline throughout the spaces of the Museum and providing a clear interpretation of the exhibition, with a first thematic room and a second chronological room. This project reveals the architects long established identity regarding the work on vernacular architecture, heritage, conservation and restoration. The consistency of methods and intervention ethics revealed in their projects considers the importance of tradition, scale and context in the assembling of a continuity that preserves the features of the territory and the history of human occupations10. The Castle s Museum Centre considers these notions and reflects principles stated in the international charters. These principles include the 9 Victor Mestre ao (per)correr (d)a vida. 1st Edition. Almada: Casa da Cerca Centro de Arte Contemporânea. Câmara Municipal de Almada, 2013, p. 88 [in Portuguese]. 10 Victor Mestre in NEVES, José Manuel das Reabilitação do Tempo. 1st Edition. Casal da Cambra, Sintra: Caleidoscópio, September 2004, p. 11 [in Portuguese]. 5

6 distinction between new and preexisting architectures 11, as well as the respect for the authenticity of the building, recognizing the contributions from different eras. The adaptation of the building to the museum programme embodies a sober and restrained design, relating closely to the preexistence without ever overriding it. In order to safeguard the reversibility of the performed intervention, the architects option refuses a permanent physical mark in the spaces. The existence of the project is registered through its immaterial qualities and in the memory of those who visited the Museum. The simplicity of the construction systems and the pursuit of abstraction as architectural expression guided the work of Victor Mestre and Sofia Aleixo. Their goal was to uncover the soul of the building, established since its construction or acquired over time, through additions, alterations and different uses 12. Refusing any form of desire for authorial statement, the architecture of the Museum Centre has a discreet presence, drawing the visitor s attention to the exhibits, rather than to the building itself. Strategic use of artificial lighting, expressiveness of old and new materials, contrasting colours and textures, and the design of showcases permanently captivate the observer. The balance of the pieces on display, considering their ability to interact with the public, stimulates the dialogue with the exhibits, and allows for a proper allocation of their potential, considering the contrasts between the dimensions and delicacies of the objects on display. Given the relevance of the findings and the limitations of space imposed by the preexisting building, it is understood that the museum proposal is successful in the management of the spaces, the resting moments and the selection and distribution of the estate. The communication project and the collaboration with designer Pedro Mendes Leal assumed paramount importance in the design of the Museum and relates carefully to the architecture. Preserving what does not need to (or should not) be replaced, the contemporary gesture is visible especially in the design of the showcases and the exhibition sequence, but its presence does not misrepresent the character of the monument. In fact, the Museum Centre presents itself as a space of modest dimensions, proposing architecture of subtle qualities, favouring the exhibition sequence and the contemplation of the objects and emphasizing the quality of the architectural work and the museum practice developed by the architects. 11 Venice Charter (1964), Article 15: The material used for integration should always be recognisable and its use should be the least that will ensure the conservation of a monument and the reinstatement of its form. 12 Sofia Aleixo and Victor Mestre Victor Mestre. Sofia Aleixo. Arquitectos, 2012, available at: < [in Portuguese; non-numbered pages]. 6

7 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE CENTRE 04. Archaeological Site, aerial view. Fernando Guerra, Site plan. JLCG Architects, The Archaeological Site Centre ( ), designed by the architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça (b.1952), in collaboration with the landscape architect João Gomes da Silva (b.1962), embraces the conservation of the three occupation periods uncovered by the excavations. The first action established a perimeter, limiting the archaeological field within a set of corten steel retaining walls. These walls restructured the topography, creating a horizontal reference plan, an aspect that can be recognised in other works by Carrilho da Graça. In addition, an elevated surrounding platform was created, providing a unitary reading of the entire excavation. The access to the lower level of the Archaeological Site is materialized by specific elements, coated in limestone. These elements make the transition between the corten steel membrane and the gravel path, reorganizing pavements, making connections and solving inconvenient reliefs. Of the three occupation moments, the one that is most immediately recognised is that which embodies the remains of the two Islamic houses. The white volumes that rise from the original foundations, their geometric accuracy and abstraction draws the observer s attention to the space, revealing, in the outset, the condition of these living structures arranged around a courtyard. The Iron Age structures, located at a lower level, are protected by a volume that originates from the corten steel walls, guiding the observer in a spiral movement towards the 4,5 meter deep excavation profile. The pavements of the Santiago Counts Palace (former Bishop s Palace), representing the last period of occupation on display, are revealed by a reversed perspective on a mirrored surface. The overview of the project expresses the proportional relationship Carrilho da Graça created between the architecture and the archaeological remains, using only those elements that were truly necessary for the understanding of the ruins. This close relation represents an additional dimension in the project, since similar interventions usually only go as far as the 7

8 static observation of the ruins, keeping the visitors at a controlled distance. On the contrary, here the museum strategy allows visitors to experience the original spatiality of the Islamic houses, making the white volumes not just a form of communication, but the message itself. The architect worked with space as a central component, rather than producing a solely representative element. The museological opportunity in the Site is uncovered by the interpretation of the spatiality of the ruins. The museum is perceived as an integrated spatial experience that complements the contemplative condition inherent to the programme. Aiming to achieve a sense of intensification of place by conveying strong ideas, the architect regards the territory as a point of departure, stating that [ ] nothing is created without a reflection on what existed before, and then something is created taking that into account, adding elements that are clearly independent but that revive those that already existed 13. Likewise, the adaptation of the Archaeological Site to the museum programme emphasizes the insight of an architectural gesture founded within the reading of the territory and its relation to the programme, regarding its functional aspects and the historical criteria imbedded in the ruins. The project considers essential concepts defined by the international charters 14, performing a minimal intervention, conscious of its reversibility and the importance of maintaining the territory s authenticity, accepting the different times imprinted in the ruins. The distinction between preexistence and contemporaneity is evident, assuming an autonomy that is expressed by a fair balance. The separation line between the preexistence (the stone walls) and the new intervention (the white walls) encapsulates the essence of this gesture and underlines the sense of lightness and suspension present in various works by Carrilho da Graça. The Archaeological Site is thus a referential project, enhancing the preexisting territory and enriching the archaeological findings with an additional spatial dimension. The interpretation of the Islamic houses, in a clearly contemporary and reversible language, and the synthesis of design that meets the conceptual reading of the Mediterranean home allow an immediate and empathetic understanding of the spaces. The expression of materials and constructive systems, the design of details and the abstraction of the shapes, highlight the constructive precision that uses almost silent means to create meaningful solutions. Embracing historical, archaeological and heritage considerations, the project reveals an enormous predisposition to simultaneously relate to the present, grasping the opportunity of understanding and interpreting a territory in transition. 13 João Luís Carrilho da Graça in LOBO, Inês (Coord.) Lisbon Ground, La Biennale di Venezia Lisbon Ground Architettura. 1 st Edition. Lisbon: Direcção Geral das Artes, 2012, pp [in Portuguese]. 14 As an example see Venice Charter (1964), Krakow Charter (2000) and ICOMOS Charter (2003). 8

9 FINAL REMARKS The concepts of heritage and museum have become progressively broader, more inclusive and more flexible, particularly during the second half of the twentieth century. Different restoration criteria and intervention methods are recognized nowadays and, thus, it is the particular circumstance of each building and the ethical obligation of an extensive historical study that dictate how to proceed in each situation. The increasing recognition of the value of heritage first having as a subject historical monuments and then extending to historical centres and sites has allowed a wider acknowledgment of the field and favoured the completion of various projects to recover historical buildings, making them available to the public. The adaptation of buildings with heritage value to museum programmes arises as an adequate measure for the realization of this quest, and complies with the recommendations of several charters 15 regarding the adaptation of monuments to other purposes, as an effective means of conservation. São Jorge Castle is a relevant reference in this context. In both case studies presented in this paper, the enhancement of the preexisting architectures becomes relevant due to its dialogue with contemporary gestures and materials that address, in a unique way, the inclusion of the museum activity in spaces of historical value. The criteria introduced by Camillo Boito in the nineteenth century, and later established by the Venice Charter and subsequent documents, is clearly substantiated in these works. The projects are guided by values of reversibility, minimal intervention, differentiation between new and preexisting works and respect for the authenticity of the original construction. Although acting upon spaces of different features, the Archaeological Site and the Museum guarantee a continuity that allows the preservation of the findings within the original site. There is a clear link between the concept of heritage conservation and the concept of the museum, allowing the contextualization of the collection through the in situ understanding of the archaeological remains. It is considered, however and perhaps this is an aspect for further development that although there is a physical proximity between the Site and the Museum, the completion of the Perimeter Path of the Castle 16 and / or the opening of the existing route between the Site and the Museum would benefit a more integrated reading of the projects combined potential. 15 As an example see Venice Charter (1964), Article 5: The conservation of monuments is always facilitated by making use of them for some socially useful purpose. [ ] 16 In progress, between 1996 and 2002, according to the project envisioned by architect Victor Mestre, during his work at DGEMN. 9

10 The project of the Museum Centre, by Victor Mestre and Sofia Aleixo, demonstrates the sensitivity of the work that has been developed by the architects regarding heritage and its preservation, providing an additional example of a thought-through action, founded within the anthropology of the territory and its social context. Similarly, Carrilho da Graça s approach towards the Archaeological Site registers the different occupation periods through precise interventions that demonstrate the relevance of contemporary architecture in the understanding of heritage. The interpretation of the Islamic houses introduces an additional dimension to the set, providing a distinctive spatial involvement with the ruins. Both museums encourage interaction between the objects on display and the public: the Museum Centre through the thematic organization of the findings and the clarification of a chronological sequence that re-enacts several centuries of history; and the Archaeological Site Centre through the interpretation of the primitive structures. These case studies express the active role of the museum in heritage conservation, demonstrating its ability to attend to the communication aspect, which is nowadays equivalent in importance to the traditional conservation, research and safeguard functions of the museum. REFERENCES ALEIXO, Sofia, and MESTRE, Victor Victor Mestre. Sofia Aleixo. Arquitectos, 2012, available at: < vmsa-arquitectos.com/home.html> [28/08/2013]. BARRANHA, Helena Arquitectura de museus e iconografia urbana: concretizar um programa / construir uma imagem, in LOPES, João Teixeira and SEMEDO, Alice (Coord.) Museus, Discursos e Representações. Oporto: Afrontamento, 2006, pp BARRANHA, Helena Os Museus como Requalificação do Património, Patrimonio.pt, 2012, available at: < [30/05/2014]. CHOAY, Françoise Alegoria do Património. 2 nd Edition. Lisbon: Edições 70, January CUSTÓDIO, Jorge (Coord.) 100 Anos de Património. Memória e Identidade. Portugal Lisbon: IGESPAR, LOBO, Inês (Coord.) Lisbon Ground, La Biennale di Venezia Lisbon Ground Architettura. 1 st Edition. Lisbon: Direção Geral das Artes, MESTRE, Victor ao (per)correr (d)a vida. 1 st Edition. Almada: Casa da Cerca Centro de Arte Contemporânea. Câmara Municipal de Almada, NEVES, José Manuel das Reabilitação do Tempo. 1 st Edition. Casal da Cambra: Caleidoscópio, September TOSTÕES, Ana El museo como programa en la arquitectura contemporánea in NOLASCO, Maria da Luz (Coord.) Museos y museología en Portugal. Una ruta ibérica para el futuro. Monographic number of the magazine Revista de Museología, Asociación Española de Museólogos, 1997, pp