PalaceII

Image description: This is a photograph of an urban area featuring a building in ruins. On the left side, we see a large, tall residential building, while on the right there is another partially visible building. In the center, the main building is in the process of demolition, with large destroyed pieces scattered on the ground. The light blue sky contrasts with the yellowish and brown tones of the damaged structures.

Palace II was a building like so many others that sprang up on the horizon of Barra da Tijuca during the region's real estate boom in the 1980s and 1990s. It promised leisure, security, and comfort to the 120 families who decided to live near the sea, in the neighborhood that became a symbol of a lifestyle. Until the end of the 1970s, Barra sounded like a far-off place to most residents of other parts of Rio. A vast stretch of land that opened onto a beautiful beach. That changed with the arrival of the “emergentes,” as Rio slang nicknamed the families who achieved financial rise and who occupied the neighborhood with the colors of their american way of life. Living in Barra da Tijuca gradually became a dream purchase for many Rio residents. Malls, supermarkets, and large condominiums shaped the area's map and fueled real estate speculation, which advanced furiously over that stretch of the West Zone. The collapse of Palace II illustrates the perverse side of that speculation.

Image description: This is a photograph of a collapse at a residential building called Palace II, in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, on March 24, 1998. In the image, we see a large pile of rubble occupying the center of the photo, with pieces of concrete, wood, and other construction materials scattered throughout the area. On the left, there is a tall, modern apartment building, while on the right stands another similar building. Three workers are positioned in front of the rubble, wearing blue and white clothing. They appear to be inspecting or organizing the debris. The sky is clear and blue, indicating a sunny day.

On February 28, 1998, a Carnival Sunday, part of the building collapsed, killing eight people. The tragedy was only not worse because some residents noticed the imminent risk and managed to warn the others, who hurriedly abandoned their apartments. They saved their lives, but lost almost all their belongings, documents, photographs, sentimental objects, the records of their histories. Today, a new building occupies the site where the collapse occurred. The tragedy and its impact on the lives of the former residents became a documentary, Palace II, directed by Rafael Machado and Gabriel Correa e Castro.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a protest in front of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice. In the center, a man holds a white sign with text handwritten in blue. The sign reads "PALACE II HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?". In the background, we see part of a building with windows and metal grates. On the left, another person is partially visible.

The investigation proved that the building collapsed due to technical negligence by the construction company Sersan, owned by federal deputy and engineer Sérgio Naya. He was, however, acquitted in the criminal case and died in 2009. In 2022, after more than 20 years of waiting and fighting, the families of the victims of the collapse of Edifício Palace II received a total compensation of R$ 30 million.