De uma hora para outra, a antiga cidade desapareceu e outra surgiu como se fosse obtida por uma mutação de teatro. Havia mesmo na cousa muita cenografia.
When he took office as mayor in 1902, Pereira Passos put into practice many of the sanitation and beautification plans that had been under discussion since the reports of the Comissão de Melhoramentos (Improvements Commission). In addition to the partial demolition of the Morro do Castelo and hygienist measures aimed at excluding the poor from the urban perimeter -- which earned his improvement plan the name "Bota-abaixo" ("Tear-down") -- his project included the construction of three major avenues: Central, do Cais (later Rodrigues Alves), and Beira-mar. And it was Avenida Central (now Rio Branco) that ended up becoming one of the greatest icons of Pereira Passos's reform.
Inaugurated in 1905, Avenida Central embodied the whole civilizing ideal demanded by Rio's elites. Its construction, between 1904 and 1905, transformed the landscape and changed the history of the surrounding streets, which became open-air galleries.
Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph showing an urban scene with people walking and carriages parked. On the left, there is a multi-window building constructed on a hillside. In the center, several individuals are walking or posing, some wearing hats and suits. On the right, there is another building with a sloped roof. In the background, there are palm trees and a power line.Demolition of part of the Morro do Castelo for the construction of Av. Central. Photograph by João Martins Torres, 1904 [?]. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Instituto Moreira Salles
On one side of the avenue were the port and the bustle of the docks, the coming and going of passengers arriving in or leaving the capital city; at the opposite end, culture took over the landscape. The area of the old Largo da Mãe do Bispo (where the present-day streets Evaristo da Veiga and Treze de Maio meet) gave way to a modern square named Marechal Floriano, which, in the 1920s, would become better known as Cinelândia. The Theatro Municipal (1909), the National Library (1910), and the School of Fine Arts (1908) expressed the modern in both form and content. Its movie theaters, restaurants, bars, and cafés were the embodiment of Paris in the tropics.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an avenue in a large urban center. From left to right, we see historic buildings with classical architecture, including a building with columns and arches. In the center, the avenue is full of people walking and vehicles moving about. In the background, there is a rocky mountain and some buildings under construction. On the right, we see lower buildings and an open area. In the lower left corner, there is text mentioning "A Avenida Central" and a date of 1905-1906.This setting contrasted with what it concealed. Its form pointed to a superficial and ephemeral modernization. It was inaugurated amid protests and laments from everyone who had been expelled from there so that it could exist.
The facade competition held by the construction commission mixed styles and radicalized Carioca eclecticism, in addition to having established a standard: facades from 10 to 35 meters wide, plus at least three floors. Near the port, the avenue connected to Rodrigues Alves Avenue, which arose from the earth left by the destruction of Morro do Senado. The works began with the demolition of around 600 buildings, which housed the poorest sectors of Carioca society. Tenements and boarding houses fell like dominoes, and notices were posted on the houses that would be torn down, giving short deadlines for the buildings to be vacated.
Image description: This is a black-and-white illustration, likely from an old book or magazine. In the scene, we see several people in a destroyed urban setting. On the left side, there is a man with a handcart, carrying a large plant. In front of him is another man sitting in a red chair, covered with flowers. In the background, we see damaged buildings and ruins, suggesting an earthquake or natural disaster. People are scattered throughout the scene, some appearing to be seeking help or shelter.Presidential motorcade amid the protests during the avenue's inauguration. O Malho, September 10, 1904. By Angelo Agostini. Collection: FBN.
The execution of the project was entrusted to engineer André Gustavo Paulo de Frontin (1860-1933). For months, the construction work kept changing the landscape. Narrow streets, alleys, and colonial-era commercial establishments were disappearing, while sewage and water systems, lighting, and electricity were "coming in." Alignments, rectifications, and new streets completed the scene. The 1,800 meters in length and 33 meters in width of Avenida Central seemed much more extensive.
Central Avenue was inaugurated on November 15, 1905, and became the stage of fashion, a place of curiosity and encounters. In the late afternoon, its cafés welcomed wealthy families for orange refreshments or lemonade. The pavement enchanted passersby with the patterns formed by the Portuguese stones. In the central median, the pau-brasil saplings were a reminder that the city was in the tropics. Ouvidor Street lost its prominence. The granite obelisk closed off Central Avenue facing the sea.
The imposing buildings showed off their cosmopolitanism. They were the work of several architects who took part in the façade competitions, whose jury included Pereira Passos, Paulo de Frontin, Lauro Müller, and Oswaldo Cruz. In this context, the Catalan architect Adolfo Morales de los Rios stood out, being responsible for several projects, among them the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes. The building of the Tabacaria Londres - initially belonging to the brothers Francisco and Antônio Jannuzzi - was the first to be completed, in March 1905. Then came the hotels, the newspaper offices, the clubs, the company headquarters, and public buildings.
Image description: This is a photograph of a man in formal attire. He is facing the camera, with closely cropped hair and a short beard. The man is wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. His right hand is tucked into the suit pocket. The photo is in black and white.Image of the Architect Adolfo Morales de Los Rios - Image featured in the Biography at the IHGB.
The Beira-Mar avenue consolidated the movement toward the south side of the city. Copacabana became easier to reach, as it was no longer necessary to pass by the São João Batista cemetery or go through the tunnel (now the Alaor Prata tunnel).
In 1912, after the death of the Baron of Rio Branco in February, avenida Central was renamed Rio Branco, in tribute to the diplomat who had died a week before Carnival. That year, the clubs that promoted costume balls thought it best to postpone the festivities until April. Despite the mourning, on Carnival Saturday revelers decided to take to the streets in their costumes and confetti. In April, it was the clubs' turn to hold their balls, and the population experienced the joys of Carnival for a second time. There were two Carnivals in a year that was supposedly one of mourning.
