In (+) tangible heritage: The schools of João Filgueiras Lima, Lelé

Just 2 years ago, we lost Joäo Filgueiras Lima, known as Lele, one of the most important Brazilian architects of his generation. Beginning with the construction of Brasilia, as a young architect, he worked together with Oscar Niemeyer and developed a brilliant career dedicated to public facilities, especially schools and hospitals. This paper aims to discuss his tangible and intangible heritage by presenting Lelé s architecture, with special attention to his prefabricated schools built in the 1980s, in Salvador, Bahia. Lelé developed a special system of prefabricated buildings that arose from his analysis of the Brazilian reality: the shortage of public resources, its cultural and social particularities, tropical climate and the challenge of constructing as a technical and industrial issue. Lelé built many schools using prefabricated mortar, lighter and more flexible than prefabricated concrete elements. Despite their importance and efficiency, some of these schools are in serious risk of disappearing: they are often disfigured and some were recently demolished by the public administration, under the assumption that they could not be recovered anymore. However, we have reason to believe they could be adapted for new programmatic needs using the same system and elements that Lelé first conceived, since he included in his designs the possibility of spatial arrangements suited to different programs and deployments. As the deeds of a man transcend his very existence, it is necessary to think about realistic efforts to ensure the preservation of Lelé s architectural ideas, maybe as something even more important than the physical integrity of his buildings. In conclusion, this study aims to affirm the value, adaptability and efficiency of Lelé s architectural concepts, presenting his own system as a valid option to the refurbishment of his buildings, even if by changing their initial configurations, and also to affirm the importance of preserving his heritage.