The Colegio de Cataguases , currently the Manuel Inácio Peixoto State School, is a project by the prominent and well-known architect Oscar Niemeyer . It was commissioned by Francisco Inácio Peixoto, one of the members of the Verde literary group and creator of modern Cataguases in 1945 . It is one of the buildings that changed the image and mentality of Cataguases in the 1940s. It also has landscaping by the artist Burle Marx.
Summary
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- 1 Description
- 2 History
- 3 Historical and Artistic Heritage
- 4 Sources
Description
The Cataguasés College project follows the main lines of Modern Architecture: the pilotis, the free facade, the brise soleil, the simple lines and indicates Niemeyer’s layout in the internal sinuosity and the exquisite reinforced concrete in its marquetry.
The College of Cataguasés follows the main lines of Modern Architecture, with the signature of Oscar Niemeyer.
History
Francisco Peixoto, a writer and industrialist from the city, promoted modern art and architecture in small Cataguases by hiring Niemeyer for the project of his residence and the Cataguases College in 1945.
The College has a replica of the original from the 18th century, which was sold to the Government of São Paulo. It is located in the Memorial of Latin America , in Barra Funda, in São Paulo.
Pablo Werneck conceived the panel in “Abstract” and in front of the building is Jan Zack’s “The Thinker.”
The building was inaugurated in 1949 . From then on, innumerable projects are developed that the elite and the middle class of Catagua entrust to the renowned architects who worked in Rio de Janeiro; who represented the vanguard of Brazilian architecture at that time.
In addition to the Cataguases School, the town has the Matriz Santa Rita de Casia church, with its peculiar curves that are evident in front of the city square and replaced the old neo-Gothic church; the Cataguases hotel, a work by Jan Zack that meets the Pomba River; or the monument to José Ignacio Peixoto, the result of an initiative by workers and with a beautiful panel by Cándido Portinari.
The architects were joined by plastic artists, landscape designers and furniture designers of the period, such as: Cándido Portinari, Djanira, Emeric Marcier, Anísio Medeiros, Bruno Giorgi, Jan Zach, Burle Marx, Joaquim Tenreiro.
In addition to the acervo of integrated artworks such as: panels, sculptures and real estate adorned with a considerable artistic acervo. From the 1960s onwards the architect, city dweller, Luzimar Goés Telles stands out with the largest production of modern works in Cataguases.
One of the reasons for these demonstrations was to draw attention on the national scene to the fact that they took place in a city in the interior of Minas Gerais, far from the country’s large urban centers. In addition, at that time the city had approximately 20,000 inhabitants and transportation and communication conditions were very difficult. However, these demonstrations occurred almost simultaneously with the avant-gardes of the great Brazilian centers, such as Pampulha, in Belo Horizonte.
Historical and Artistic Heritage
In various places in Cataguases it is possible to see monumental works from that period. However, many of these monuments have undergone extensive modifications.
The Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage – IPHAN, has been responsible for the demolition of several monuments in Cataguases.
Several establishments of equal historical and artistic importance have also not been protected and are deteriorated, this being a great cultural and heritage loss, in the vision of the architects.
The building of the Colegio de Cataguasés was demolished in December 1994 by IPHAN.