The life, death and afterlife of the materialities of a church demolished for the construction of Avenida Presidente Vargas, in Rio de Janeiro

This paper discusses disputes between engineers and architects during the building of Presidente Vargas Avenue in Rio de Janeiro (1937-1945). The engineers worked for the Secretary of Transport and Public Works and were in charge of the Director Plan for the city. On the other hand, the architects worked for the Service of National Historical and Artistic Heritage, responsible for protecting historical buildings and cultural assets. The remodeling plan menaced the demolition of historical buildings and a public garden, thus opening three controversies: the avenue design and the engineering operation for transferring the colonial church of São Pedro. We explore the idea of demolitions as good food for thought about the consecration and desecration of heritage. We argue that the menace of fragmenting the unity of cultural assets, especially religious ones, enables discussing the value of sacred things.

Keywords:
urban works; historical heritage; colonial churches; Presidente Vargas Avenue; sacred