The historic building of Estação Barão de Mauá, known as Estação Leopoldina, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, will undergo a partial renovation. The court agreement between the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and the concessionaire SuperVia, which operates the urban train lines, was signed last week.
The building belongs to the Federal Government and the state of Rio de Janeiro and, under the terms of the concession agreement, SuperVia is responsible for the station, which corresponds to the boarding area of the station, and for the patio with four boarding platforms. The agreement provides for the renovation of the station’s gare and platforms, which opened in 1926.
According to the MPF, in March the Secretary of Heritage of the Union hired a company to prepare the basic project for the renovation and restoration of the main building, which has already been presented to the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan), as the building was listed in 2008.
The Attorney General of the Republic Sergio Gardenghi Suiama, responsible for the public civil action, pointed out that, with the agreement, it will be possible to return the station for use by the community.
“The agreement guarantees not only the renovation of the station and platforms at Leopoldina Station, but also, and mainly, the transformation of the space into a cultural center, contemplating the history of the railway system. The transformation of old train stations into cultural and leisure spaces is a trend all over the world. We hope that, in a few months, the sad current scenario of degradation of a historic property so relevant to the history of the city and the country will be replaced by another one in which the population can have yet another cultural equipment in the city”.
Construction
SuperVia informed that the works will begin after the approval of the project by Iphan and the forecast is that the work will last 12 months. The CEO of SuperVia, Antonio Carlos Sanches, highlighted the historical importance of the place.
“Leopoldina station is part of one of the best chapters in the history of Rio de Janeiro and the country. We hope that our project will help to rescue the memory of that period in which the country placed great expectations on its future with the beginning of the industrialization process”.
According to SuperVia, the centuries-old floors and coverings of the platforms will be recovered and the reinforced concrete structures, pillars and roof slab will undergo repairs and waterproofing. New lighting networks will also be installed at the station and on the platforms and for the treatment of rainwater.
The station will have the floor, the internal facades and the windows revitalized. The roof tiles and inner lining will be replaced and the structure recovered. The two public restrooms will be retrofitted and put into operation. A lightning protection system and adaptation of fire-fighting facilities will also be installed.
According to Iphan, there are currently two projects for the recovery of Leopoldina Station. The first, an emergency intervention project, was approved by IPHAN and covered by the National Culture Support Program (Pronac). The second was filed by SuperVia this year and is being analyzed “with priority” by the Institute.
“It should be clarified that part of the building is under concession by Supervia. The station is under the responsibility of the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the Secretary of Heritage of the Union (SPU), linked to the Ministry of Economy. Iphan has been closely monitoring the situation of this cultural asset and highlights the importance of the monument not only for Rio de Janeiro, but also for the Brazilian Cultural Heritage,” the agency said.
Season
The design of the Barão de Mauá station is by the English architect Robert Prentice, inspired by Victoria Station, in London. Inaugurated in 1926, the station offered services such as a cafeteria, barber, shoeshine, cigar shop and bank branch.
Passengers boarded to places such as Vila Inhomirim, Guapimirim, Petrópolis, Friburgo and Campos, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and also outside the state, such as Vitória and Zona da Mata in Minas Gerais.
Between 1994 and 1998, the station operated the famous Silver Train, which ran from Rio to São Paulo. SuperVia stopped operating trains at the Barão de Mauá station in 2001, but until 2015 the place was used for cultural events.
Since then, the space has been closed to the public, with the facade deteriorated and covered in graffiti.
The Barão de Mauá-Leopoldina Station was listed by the State Institute of Cultural Heritage (Inepac) in 1991 and by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) in 2008, included in the Railway Cultural Heritage List.
Renovation for the recovery of Leopoldina Station does not have a start date, but should last 12 months – Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil
Process
The MPF warned in 2018 that the station was at risk of catching fire if it did not pass through. emergency worksand proposed a public civil action in court, still in 2013, for the restoration of the historic heritage.
In September of last year, federal judge Paulo André Espírito Santo Bonfadini upheld the MPF’s request and ordered the property’s owners to carry out “the necessary measures to restore and repair damage to the main and annex building, facades, marquees and roofs of the Season”. According to the ruling, SuperVia was responsible for renovating the station and boarding platforms, as well as maintaining and cleaning the land.
The agreement with the MPF also provides for the installation of a Cultural Center that contemplates the “history of the railway system as the main source of knowledge, with a fixed exhibition of historical content and current data on the railway”. In addition to classrooms for music, dance, theater and craft activities, a place for presentations and an environment for a temporary exhibition.
The center must be installed within one year after the end of the renovation and must have a minimum investment of R$ 500,000. SuperVia also showed interest in installing a Corporate University at the site, for training courses for employees with training, lectures and courses as a machinist’s assistant, machinist and controller.
The agreement recognized that the trains, wagons and other movable assets that are at the station are not the responsibility of SuperVia.
