Pampulha Modern Ensemble

• Management systems/ management plan (need to augment the Management Plan)
• Lack of implementation of the work set out in the Intervention Plan
• Need to strengthen the protection and planning controls of the 1st block of houses and the protection of the buffer zone

On 3 December 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1493/documents/, and reports the following:

• Restoration of the Yacht Club and demolition of the annexed structures is delayed until ownership and management responsibility matters are resolved via ongoing negotiations between the city government and the Club;
• Access to the Ballroom has been improved by demolishing a freestanding control box and restoring the garden;
• Dino Barbieri Square underwent extensive intervention in 2015 and is intensely used by the local population in its present form. No further intervention has yet been undertaken. The Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN), the Burle Marx Unit and national experts have the knowledge necessary for the restoration project. An extensive process of consultation is proposed between IPHAN, the Burle Marx Unit, local environmental agencies and the local population to arrive at a restoration plan;
• Actions to improve the water quality of Pampulha Lake include treatment with bioremediation and phosphorus sequestration technologies to maintain a minimum water quality until structural sources of pollution have been addressed. 96% of the surrounding neighbourhoods are covered by sewage systems. Since 2013, great volumes of sediment and solid waste have been removed. Funding for these actions has been secured for the coming years. Water quality is monitored continuously along with environmental education programmes and social mobilization services;
• The Belo Horizonte Master Plan adopted in June 2019, establishes a Special Guidelines Area of Pampulha. In this framework, different buffer zone subzones may be subject to different levels of control and intervention from heritage agencies according to their contribution to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Modifications to the buffer zone delimitation may be proposed;
• Tourism and appropriation by local communities are integrated parts of the property’s management as shown in a series of concrete actions by the Belo Horizonte tourism authorities and the implementation of an education and communication programme;
• The Pampulha Modern Ensemble Management Committee is developing building guidelines for interventions in traditional neighbourhoods. A set of indicators has been established in four areas: public acknowledgment of the property, conditions of fruition or enjoyment of the elements that make up the property (environment and infrastructure), conservation status of monuments, and threats to the landscape;
• Other activities include restoration of San Francisco Church and Pampulha Art Museum, creation of a species nursery garden for the restoration and maintenance of the Burle Marx gardens, management of Capybaras living on the shores of the lake, remodelling of bicycle lane around the lake, lighting, tools for management and tourism development and educational activities.
• A workshop was organized in May 2019 in Belo Horizonte with the participation of various stakeholders aiming at improvements on tourist management and local development of the property.

The State Party should be commended for the multiple actions undertaken for the conservation and management of the property.

However, it is a matter of serious concern that no progress has been made in the preparation of the intervention in the Yacht Club and the demolition of the annexed structures, as foreseen in the Intervention Plan and to which the State Party committed itself at the time of the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List.

Regarding Dino Barbieri Square, it is understood that this is a complex issue that requires careful planning and communication with the local population. The participation of the IPHAN Burle Marx Unit is highly welcomed as is the creation of a nursery garden for species that will be required in the restoration process. It is appropriate to recall the conclusion of the April 2018 ICOMOS Technical Review which advised to evaluate the feasibility of recovering some of the features that were part of the original Burle Marx project (1941-1945) and modified during the construction phase (end of the 1940s). Equally, it is important to recall the recommendation that the project’s implementation be accompanied by a good communication strategy that explains the reasons for re-designing the square in order to complete the ensemble of landscape and buildings and strengthen the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage property.

It may be expected that the actions to improve the water quality of the Pampulha Lake, and the assurances that these will continue over the coming years, will have positive effects in the mid- and long-term. The connection to the sewage system of the last houses and informal settlements should be pursued vigorously in order to achieve the desired water quality.

The impact of the recently-adopted Belo Horizonte Master Plan on the planning and management of the World Heritage property and its buffer zones should be identified. The workshop of May 2019 in which the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach was applied provided relevant elements for the identification of attributes and the strengthening of the management of the property and its buffer zone. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre as soon as possible of the outcome of this analysis and the potential implications for the management of the property.

Important progress has been made in the management of the property with the participation of local communities, educational and environmental activities, and the restoration of some of the emblematic buildings, notably the San Francisco church and the intervention in the Ballroom. However, it is noted with concern that other elements of the Intervention Plan are encountering delays and that no clear timelines have been set for their completion. This particularly refers to the Yacht Club and Dino Barbieri Square as well as the Strategic Management Plan including an Integrated Sustainable Tourism Development Plan.