Desing às margens do açude velho: uma análise do espaço público com foco nos monumentos urbanos de Campina Grande-PB.

Abstract

Utilized for various purposes, by different audiences and in different periods, the public space allows the construction of the sociocultural aspects of a society, since it is developed and adjusted as the needs of community experiences arise. Understanding the man as an expressive being, who leaves marks and knowledge wherever he goes, explains the emergence of different identities and cultures. In this context, urban monuments can be considered as art artifacts, implanted in public spaces for the purpose of reminding (monere) and teaching (docere) – etymological functions suggested by Freire (1997) – facts or figures that have gained notoriety in the evolutionary trajectory of urban territories. To fulfill these functions, it is necessary that the places that receive such a work of art be well structured to receive visitors, promoting them experiences based on protection, enjoyment, and opportunities. In this aspect, the present work appropriated approaches linked to the understanding of urban design and its guidelines, to study the public spaces endowed with monuments on the banks of the Old Dam, in Campina Grande-PB – considering such artifacts as inseparable elements of the urban landscape – investigating aspects and phenomena that influence the notoriety of the work and the use of the site by the population. Thus, the research used a qualitative approach, and used the case study as a strategy to achieve the analysis. Accordingly, data were collected in two phases (Phase I and Phase II). Phase I included the completion of two surveys proposed by Ferreira (2009) for the diagnosis of public spaces with monuments, and with the capture of photos. In the phase II, the analysis was performed from nine aspects proposed by the same author, where the photos were associated to reinforce the collected information. From the data processing and its relationship with the theoretical contribution, the results were generated, which identified positive and negative factors that influence the experience of visitors in public spaces. It can be concluded, then, that urban spaces endowed with monuments should be understood as components of collective living and as carriers of local culture. Based on this understanding, it is possible to suggest any intervention or develop any new equipment of this size.