History and architectural characteristics of the iron bandstands in Belém, Pará

Abstract

From the late 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, Belém underwent a comprehensive urban and architectural renovation in Pará, northern Brazil. The transformations in these Amazonian lands, the rubber cycle’s outcomes, included the construction and renovation of squares which were remarkably equipped with prefabricated iron bandstands imported from diverse European countries. Several buildings have remained in the city’s landscape but have been little researched and documented. Meanwhile, they suffer from weathering (mostly corrosion) and inappropriate anthropic actions allied to the absence of proper maintenance, gradually losing their features and pieces. As these facts are a significant challenge to their conservation, this paper aims to document Belém’s eight remaining iron bandstands by investigating their historical trajectories and architectural characteristics as preservation subsidies. The methodological approach was divided into two phases: 1) historical and iconographic study; 2) architectural documentation and analysis. The research’s products consisted of two-dimensional drawings, registration forms, and a comparative analysis of the buildings assembled within Belém’s historical centre. The process allowed the detailing of their backgrounds, origins, and dating. It produced consistent graphic documentation whose interpretation highlighted various architectural and technical solutions due to the uniqueness of each structure. This data advances the knowledge about this kind of building in heritage conservation and construction history, grounding the conclusion that industrialization processes do not define them as homogenous structures.