Ruínas recentes: impactos na paisagem urbana e formas de apropriação após a implementação do Complexo Petroquímico do Rio de Janeiro (COMPERJ) em Itaboraí

Abstract

This research addresses the impacts that urban megaprojects can have on a territory, analyzing the socio-spatial implications resulting from the incomplete implementation of the Petrochemical Complex of the State of Rio de Janeiro (COMPERJ) in Itaboraí, considering the historical and political context of the moments of its implementation and deactivation. The central point of analysis focuses on the consequences caused by the project’s deactivation, highlighting the abandoned developments that currently manifest as ‘recent ruins’ in the territory and how these structures affect local dynamics.Based on the analysis of concepts related to abandoned works, ruins, memories, and the temporality of ruin, the study investigates architectural appropriations in situations of abandonment, with a focus on those that occurred as a result of the deactivation of megaprojects. Cases of abandonment and the different forms of appropriation that occurred in different contexts are examined.The research conducts an in-depth comparative analysis between the cases of Itaboraí and Detroit, in the USA, both cities that have undergone processes of deindustrialization and urban decline, highlighting similarities and differences between these experiences. Both locations share the phenomenon of developments that initially boosted economic growth, but, after deactivation, came to symbolize the crisis.Through a methodological approach composed of documentary analysis, image analysis, and cartography, the research cataloged the recent ruins of Itaboraí and promoted a comparison with those of Detroit. The main objective of the work is to extract relevant lessons about the appropriation of ruins, especially ‘unfinished ruins,’ that is, developments that were abandoned during the construction phase, and to reflect on the challenges that these structures represent for urban planning.Finally, the work presents an assessment of the lessons that Detroit and Itaboraí can offer for the debate about the future of the municipality, considering the current context of the project’s resumption and the potential of ‘empty, unfinished, and appropriated ruins’.