Maiara Luchi Camilotti

Novo Candelaria

The reuse of the ruins of an old art deco cinema creates an inclusive multifunctional cultural centre

The project is located in the city centre of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais in Brazil. In the year 1897, Edison presented the first movie projector at the World’s Fair in Chicago. In the same year, the first stone of the city of Belo Horizonte was laid and designed on the drawing board by engineer Aarao Reis. Belo Horizonte has a long and close relationship with the world of cinema. From the 1930s to the 1980s, the city had dozens of notorious cinemas where the residents of the city sought their entertainment. The cinemas served as a place for meetings and social exchange. Since the advent of television and, later, the computer, many cinemas closed their doors, giving place to other functions or becoming abandoned.   

The Novo Candelaria is a new chapter to be written while keeping the memory, unravelling and embracing this ruin. The found historical layers of the building serve as a foundation for the design. I decided to follow the traces and clues of the past, and the design settles over them like a new layer. The visible and invisible past plays an important role in the project. The transformation of the ruin into a new cultural centre creates an inclusive and multifunctional space that hosts several cultural expressions such as film, theatre, music, dance, and exhibition spaces. With the new interventions, the building becomes part of the urban fabric. The inner space is divided by a street, the Candelaria alleyway that serves as a link between the city and the two main spaces; Sala da Tela (Screen Room) and Sala da Luz (Room of Light). These spaces are created from the remains of the film projection room and the screen of the old cinema.   

This project is based on the exploration and experimentation of design methods and tools inspired by the film industry; script, scenography, and sets. In these new spaces, the historical parts of the building, together with the new infills lead to exciting routes through the building. The New Candelaria is a building full of encounters and surprises. 

Graduation date: 8 May 2023 
Graduation committee: Machiel Spaan (mentor), Jarrik Ouburg, Aura Luz Melis. 
Additional members for the exam: Raul Correa-Smith, Tatjana Djordjevic