Vila Itororó's Open Construction Site Project Concludes with Reflections on Public Space and Community

The Vila Itororó Canteiro Aberto project, which opened the restoration site of the centenary Vila Itororó in São Paulo to the public in 2015, concluded in 2020. Curated by Benjamin Seroussi, the initiative avoided predefined cultural labels, instead fostering spontaneous community uses like fencing and circus rehearsals within a temporary annex built by the Franco-German collective Constructlab. The project, managed by the Instituto Pedra and later the Municipal Secretariat of Culture (SMC), aimed to give "thickness to the present" by asking what the space could be now. It highlighted tensions between preservation and displacement, as the site's heritage recognition involved removing its original residents. The article, authored by Seroussi who led the project, reflects on the subsequent normalization of the space and calls for continued intersectoral public policies to support the community life that emerged.