Portuguese building "conservation"....

..again and again 😞

In the land of never ending corruption....

Today, Portuguese PM António Costa resigned after corruption allegations against members of his cabinet. In Portugal, corruption is still the country's number one internal carcinoma. Next year we will celebrate 50 years of democracy....and centuries of corruption 😡

...."Certo é que Portugal é mesmo uma Cunhalândia, o país da cunha, a terra dos pequenos e médios favores que nutrem teias de poder subterrâneo e paralelo (mas às vezes superior) aos poderes eleitos e às instituições. A cunha, o factor "C" é mesmo uma cultura nacional. Todos "dão um jeito", um jeitinho, um desenrasca. É "mexer os cordelinhos". É a nação das influências, a identidade das informalidades e habilidades, troca de favores, amiguismo, clientelismo, nepotismo. Ismos pútridos que medram nos lobbies partidários, noutros grupos de interesse organizados ou de privilegiados que se julgam investidos de direitos consuetudinários e vivem nos mundinhos onde tudo isso é desculpável e irrecusável. Numa das suas Farpas, Eça lançava:"Querido leitor: Nunca penses servir o teu país com a tua inteligência, e para isso em estudar, em trabalhar, em pensar! Não estudes, corrompe! Não sejas digno, sê hábil! E, sobretudo, nunca faças um concurso; ou quando o fizeres, em lugar de pôr no papel que está diante de ti o resultado de um ano de trabalho, de estudo, escreve simplesmente: sou influente no círculo tal e não me façam repetir duas vezes!" Talento, mérito, dom, esforço, regra, ordem, protocolo, tudo isso é luso-relativo. Variável, contextualizável. Depende."

Joana Amaral Dias in Diário de Notícias, November 5, 2023

Difficult translation....but more or less, "corruption as perpetuated national heritage"

The never ending abuse in the land of impunity....

Parede, September 29, 2023

This is a common sight in Portugal and has been so for decades. The (in)competent authorities do little or nothing to solve the problem. Very often, pedestrians are obliged to step out onto the road, risking their own lives. I lived in this village for more than 30 years ago and the problem was exactly the same...in the exact same spot !? Amazing 😡

Some heavy fines could be applied on these morons wallets and the problem would be quickly solved.... but that is not going to happen in the paradise of egoists and incompetents.

Lisbon....from city to theater scenery

This is the destination of most buildings built around 1900. The "restoration" process consists mainly in the total destruction of interiors. Against all the international recommendations and agreements for good building conservation, Lisbon has its own short term/no return final solution. 

The Portuguese modus operandi....

..built for the 1998 Expo

..25 years later (yes, open to the public !)

We do love to build and create new spaces and sensations, often with an initially bad or non-existent quality. Maintenance....well we leave that in the hands of fate - or maybe God.

The land of "short term"....

These pine trees were planted by the time of the Expo 1998 in Lisbon. Pine trees are very common in this country, so one can presume that they knew that their roots grow with a large perimeter and close to the surface. The choice of pavement is astonishing and, of course, condemned to failure. Did the people who planned the trees speak with those who planned the pavement ? Amazing !!

The result, 25 years later, is a completely useless and deformed/destroyed pavement, impossible to use for persons with disabilities. 800 meters of useless pavement and money that could have been thrown into the Tejo river. Act first and think later....

Lisboa, 1 PM, 35 Celsius....

The Portuguese "know-how" in a nut shell. These trees were once planted to provide shelter for pedestrians. They provide shelter indeed...but for the road traffic. A previous 5 minute visit to the spot could even tell a blind person where that shelter should occur during summer. But that is complicated in a country where incompetence and laissez-faire is a never ending national plague.

The return of Neanderthals, or - did stupid get a job...?

 ..the solution for male Neanderthals

..and the astonishing solution for female Neanderthals 😡

These are temporary solutions during events for humans to urinate. I wonder what kind of neurons these narrow/ignorant minds used to realise such abnormalities.  

Goodbye Kjellbergska Gymnasiet....

1935, by Ragnar Ossian Swensson

In the age of environmental friendliness and sustainability (as standard meaningless blablabla), the local politicians decided to tear down this former school building. Under any circumstances, will we get any new buildings of such quality ! Take a close look at those thick and firm brick walls....what a waste 😡 

Demolition "green" city....Göteborg

Kjellbergska Gymnasiet (a building of excellent quality), 1935, by Ragnar Ossian Swensson

Olof Wijksgatan before the demolition work began

..the same place today 😡

The five steps of the Portuguese methodology for the destruction of built heritage....

Palacete at Praça Duque de Saldanha, 1908, by José Luís Monteiro (photo: João Carvalho)

.."abandoned" for some decades

..step 2

..the practice of step 3 at Praça Duque de Saldanha

1 - The absence of maintenance for some decades.

2 - After the last tenant leaves the building, the main door should be closed with an iron chain with a padlock. This may seem like a peculiar measure, but it sends the message that the building is beyond salvation.

3 - The opening of some windows to accelerate the process of decay.

4 - Now is time for the removal of some tiles from the roof in order to accelerate the infiltration of water.

5 - Finally, if steps 1, 3 and 4 are insufficient or slow, there is always the possibility of a “spontaneous combustion”.

   

This methodology has been applied with plenty of success for some decades with the passive cooperation and understanding by the (in)competent Portuguese authorities.

Some photos stolen from MAGG

"Restoration" in central Lisbon....

..is mostly tantamount to total destruction of interiors....and this has been going on for decades !

City [dis]membering....Lisbon

..by blind architects, blind urban "planners" and blind local authorities !

Lisbon postcard....

..the "abandoned" buildings 

The Portuguese built heritage is managed by ignorance, incompetence and brutality....

Lisboa, Rua Alexandre Herculano

  

This was a memorial plaque after one of Lisbon's iconic architects, Miguel Ventura Terra. The building (1903) was designed by him and classified since 2006. Unfortunately, the protection of the built heritage in Portugal is no less than an illusion. Brutus is on the loose....

The heritage botch-up....

The stone memorial (1787) after king Gustav the third of Sweden at Kallebäck just outside Göteborg, is classified as a "byggnadsminne" (the highest grade of protection in the country). The round plaque in the middle with the king`s insignia, was previously made of bronze. After its disappearance (theft) a few years ago....it was substituted for a copy. The new shining beauty is made of plastic (!)

The portuguese destructive methodology for classified areas....

The gardens of Palacete Mendonça in Lisbon, April 2017

..and today.

The gardens are classified (protected by law), yet the trees were mutilated by the converging incompetence of authorities, owners, builders, etc. Unfortunately, not an isolated example, but more or less the "modus operandi" that slowly (but firmly) is destroying the character and authenticity of the city of Lisbon. 

Incompetence....

photo: facebook/Nuno Rodrigues

..at the National Museum of Antique Arts in Lisbon

The art of destroying a beautiful house with paint....

The summer house built in 1980 was, on the outside, originally painted in black color, including the two supporting beams (a rather important architectural detail !).

The interiors were once covered with quality pine ..floor, walls, ceiling !

Waste of money, waste of paint....and irreversible. 

Here a little "left-over" as a reminder of the beauty of pine

The treatment of historic Lisbon by incompetent....

..here at Rua da Lapa, 69