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Recommends To The Government To Take Measures To Prevent Deterioration And Demolition Of The Bolhão Market

Original Language Title: Recomenda ao Governo que tome medidas para impedir a descaracterização e demolição do Mercado do Bolhão

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Parliamentary Group

Draft Resolution No. 326 /X

It recommends the Government to take action to prevent the

mischaracterization and demolition of the Bolhão Market

The Bolhão Market is one of the most emblematic buildings in the city of Porto.

Built between 1914 and 1917 under the direction of the architectural António Correia da

Silva, the Bolhão Market was, by the date, a pioneering work in the use of concrete

armed conjugate with metallic structures and other innovative constructive techniques.

In addition to being an imposing Beaux-Arts building, it is also one of the most

beautiful blocks of the low eighocentist. By its location and the activity so

characteristic of the merchants and vendeers in it installed, the Bolhão Market

has quickly become a symbol of the identity of the city of Porto.

The Bolhão Market is engraved in the memory of successive generations of

ports, it is part of the history of the city and its gents.

In the 90 and with a view to the necessary execution of conservation works and

rehabilitation of real estate-which time has made indispensable, as well as its adaptation

to new social and commercial requirements, has been approved, in a public tender, a

project of the authorship of the Architect Joaquim Massena, which he was awaiting execution

by the House of Porto. Such a project provided for the maintenance of the market for perishable goods

food, adding new valuations to the building, without destroying or discharacterising the

its architectural lines or adulterate its social function.

We remind you that the Bolhão market, by its architectural value and

urbanistic and by its economic and social role, it is going to be classified as Real Estate of

Public interest, as per the February 22, 2006 approval of the Minister of

Culture.

Despite this, this real estate is now seriously threatened with demolition.

Recently, by decision of the Municipal Board of Porto, the Bolhão Market was

disaffected from the public domain and carried out new public tender, now of design,

project, construction and operation of that space for 50 years.

The winner of this contest, the real estate promoter TramCroNe-company of

foreign capitals with headquarters in the Netherlands, in addition to reserving for market

fresh less than a quarter of the current area, provides for the demolition of the entire interior of the

Bollion-" to ensure the economic profitability of the investment ", what will lead

inevitably to the disfigation of the facade and the mischaracterization of the whole building.

Such a project, to come to fruition, will constitute an absolute disregard for the

architectural and cultural heritage of the city of Porto, an attack on his memory,

history and identity.

As per the paragraph 3 of Law No. 107/2001 of September 8, which sets out the

bases of the policy and the regime of protection and enhancement of cultural heritage, " the

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knowledge, study, protection, valorisation and dissemination of cultural heritage

constitute a duty of the State, Autonomous Regions and local authorities ".

Thus, the State and its bodies and services may not fail to exercise the

actions that the Constitution and the law impose on them in respect of protection and valorisation

of the architectural and cultural heritage.

And they have to intervene decidedly when it is in question a good that, being

testimony with value of civilization or culture, is porter of cultural interest

relevant as is the case with the Bolhão Market.

The Ministry of Culture, through the Institute of Management of Heritage

Architectural and Archaeological, it has as attributions .... " safeguard and promote the

immovable, movable and immaterial cultural heritage, promoting its classification and

inventoriation " and " affirm an ethics of preservation and of norms and methodologies of

conservation and restoration of the heritage assets of relevant historical interest, technical,

artistic and ethnographic or anthropological " ....

Thus, in the regimental and constitutional terms, the Assembly of the Republic, meeting

in plenary, it resolves to recommend to the Government that:

1. Follow the ongoing process concerning the design, project, construction

and exploitation of the Bolhão Market;

2. Do not authorize the mischaracterization and demolition of the Bolhão Market and

guarantee your protection and valorisation, whether architectural or functional;

3. Acautele the interests of the traders operating in the interior and the

exterior of the immovable;

Palace of S. Bento, May 9, 2008

The deputies and the Members of the Left Bloc