Subsídios para o estudo da imagem urbana de Cataguases: a região da Praça da Estação

Abstract

The historic urban tissues conservation is an issue that is becoming more and more usual as the cities look for new ways for their cultural values valorization. The ambience of these urban spaces is basic for the concept of urban image, composed either for the observation and urban morphology mental structuration as it is recognized as a value and city identity. The preservation of this urban image is an usual concern in historic towns and is a challenge for urban management agencies. Furthermore, the principles of Gestalt theory and visual perception support this formal analysis, an instrument for understanding urban morphology and its development. Unlikely of other brazilian historic towns, the city of Cataguases, Minas Gerais, presents a historic downtown where urban image is stained by the contrast between traditional buildings and innovative modern movement components. The urban image is here studied by three different urban instruments (heritage, urban laws and urban planning). The formal analysis of each building, apprehension of visual elements and composition structure are related with the urban image of the focus area studied: the region of Praça da Estação Ferroviária, a specific place in the historic center. The selected period begins in 1994 when the area was classified as national monument by IPHAN (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage) and finishes in 2006, with the elaboration of the Participative Master Plan of Cataguases.