Contemporary cities strive to encompass a wide range of human activities, integrating them into their natural processes of coexistence.

Thus, activities related to leisure, work, health, administration, services, and sports require special attention to be effectively accommodated, with the aim of fostering better interactions within the population.

In the context of conurbation, urban activities play a fundamental role in shaping the relationships between cities affected by this phenomenon.

The use of spaces and services expands, no longer restricted to the local population but also accommodating people from neighboring cities.

There is a migration of uses, where individuals may work in one city, study in another, or reside in one while shopping in the other, effectively transforming both into a single functional territory (trans-use).

This process is evident in the cities of Mojimirim and Mojiguaçu. While both maintain distinct administrations and governments, preserving their autonomy and political structures, the interactions between their inhabitants intertwine and merge (inter-relations), making the two cities function as a single urban entity in practice.

Conurbation is a process that emerges as a result of the intensification of these relationships.

Thus, the proposal is to recognize conurbation as a reflection of social and economic interactions, creating a space that serves as a point of convergence for different uses. A multi-use space designed for the population of both cities.

An abandoned location, with a history that never occurred, projects and dreams that were never realized, and a present without a past. 

This is the area in question, which was once the target of investments, hopes, and the dream of a shopping center. Its strategic location, in front of an important high-traffic highway and in a promising neighborhood, which still enjoyed a commercial privilege resulting from the physical intersection of two cities of regional relevance, raised expectations for a large-scale commercial center for its time, capable of attracting visitors from other cities as well.

The successful future promised by this venture fueled people's ideals. However, these dreams were frustrated when expectations were interrupted by the cancellation of the construction project, shortly after the pillars were erected. The area, once a source of pride, became a source of shame for the population. The sight of an unfinished building, inevitably visible to all who passed in front of it, became a constant reminder of frustration for those who traveled between the two cities.

This space became an urban fissure, marked by abandonment and emptiness. A silent place, communicating through a deafening silence, filled with an unfinished history and an unrecorded memory. Urban Shadow. The space-time freeze displays unfinished pillars, awaiting something that never came, crying out for a future, but with no past. Unlike the ruins of ancient civilizations, which refer to a generally promising past, the remnants of this space became ruins before they were ever truly built. Urban Ruins. They are traces of our own time and our current civilization, symbols of depreciation, decay, and disintegration. They do not reflect the passing of time, but neglect. They are signs of decrepitude. It is, at once, a work under construction and a ruin, where time seems not to flow in a straight line, but in circles, without advancing.

The columns ceased to exist as such, falling into a discontinuous state of matter. Corroded Space. The deactivated location houses the wreckage of a contemporary illusion, remnants of a world that never existed. What is seen are only marks of an unfinished occupation. A place of uncertain destiny, an inaccurate space.

The reading of the area reveals a place marked by a history of non-existence. Its presence was limited to a form of intention.

For many years, the space remained unused, unimportant to the city, and without contribution to society. This urban wound marked a generation and was recorded in local history, from which it cannot be erased. Therefore, any intervention project that aims to replace the pillars with a new building or even continue the original work runs the risk of being perceived as mere makeup to hide a place that was never hidden.

The abandonment and neglect of a place that once held promises of becoming a source of pride for the city have become critical symbols of frustration and shame, fueling the urban imagination and becoming ingrained in the collective unconscious of the inhabitants.

Since the site was never used consistently since its inclusion in the urban perimeter, it can be considered devoid of an occupancy history. Its urban past, inexpressive, reveals an absence of temporal dynamism, in contrast to its surroundings, where residences, businesses, institutions, and services have emerged over the years. Thus, an area without history and timeless now receives, with this project, the possibility of various stories unfolding simultaneously in different temporalities.

The goal is to create a space exclusively for temporary events, such as congresses, exhibitions, shows, lectures, meetings, parties, gatherings, amusement parks, circus performances, and scenic expressions, among others. The project is designed to allow the simultaneous use of many of these activities, providing the area with the opportunity to witness a diversity of moments and stories.

When observing the area, one notices that something is missing, as if the pillars were crying out for a presence to complete them in the space.

When observing the area, one notices that something is missing, as if the pillars were crying out for a presence to complete them in the space.

The proposal for the area does not seek to hide or deny its past; on the contrary, it aims to fill a gap by creating uses and forms that respect the existing elements, without transforming them into disguised components.

In the proposal, the existing pillars become a link between the people and the uses. Users must cross the sea of columns to access the buildings.

A large part of the area occupied by the pillars will be covered by a large water mirror, which will reflect both the columns and the buildings, as well as the users themselves, causing these elements to be observed from a new perspective, in their inverted images. In addition to creating a visually distinct and contemplative landscape, it provides an opportunity to rethink the space and the role of the pillars within the architectural context. Additionally, this vast body of water contributes to thermal comfort on hot days.

The water mirror beneath the pillars and buildings also creates an impression of buoyancy, which suggests to the observer the idea that the pillars are supported by their own reflection, with no visibility beyond the reflection.

Distributor Room
It provides access to the buildings, serving as a preliminary reception area for events. It can host exhibitions and advertising materials. The space offers a panoramic view of the built area.

Auditorium
A covered area designated for events that require seated audiences, such as performances, lectures, concerts, film screenings, and commemorative ceremonies.

Administration
Management of the Multi-Use Space.

Exhibition Hall
A covered venue for large-scale events, such as industrial fairs and commercial exhibitions.

Social Lounge
This space accommodates small to medium-sized events, such as lectures, meetings, gatherings, and private parties. It offers a panoramic view of the cities.

Open Area
An uncovered space designed to host large-scale events, such as musical concerts, agricultural exhibitions, regional festivals, amusement parks, and circus installations.

The arrangement of these buildings was planned to allow the simultaneous hosting of multiple events without the use of one building interfering with another.

The project concept aims to make the user reconsider the space and the architectural context in which they are situated. Thus, the designed elements seek an intimate connection with the land, both physically and sensorially.

The intervention does not seek to hide the site’s past, but rather to symbolically integrate it, creating new uses that allow the space to host events of various types and scales, thereby becoming a crucial focal point for the social and artistic life of both cities.

The intervention does not seek to hide the site’s past, but rather to symbolically integrate it, creating new uses that allow the space to host events of various types and scales, thereby becoming a crucial focal point for the social and artistic life of both cities.

Each building was designed to interact with the topography and integrate existing elements, while ensuring functionality and accessibility for all users, including those in wheelchairs.

With careful planning, the project aims to create a harmonious environment that blends the architecture, the area’s history, and the urban context.