Suspended since 2013, construction work on the Laboratory Theater of the Institute of Arts will be resumed, rector Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles announced on Thursday (28) at a meeting of the IA congregation. The space should be transformed into a Cultural Center, housing, in addition to the theater, the history collections of the Institute of Arts and the Performing Arts department and an area for exhibitions of the Museum of Visual Arts (MAV).
According to the rector, resources of R$25 million were allocated in the Multi-Year Plan for the completion of the theater. A budget of R$1 million is already committed to contracting complementary projects, such as the electrical network, hydraulic system, air conditioning and urbanization. Once completed, the bidding process will begin.
The total cost of construction is estimated at R$23 million. The expectation is that the work will be completed at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026.
“As a major project, it requires a preliminary stage, the final projects. It is this stage that we are beginning now, but with resources already pre-planned for the complete completion of the work. There are difficulties in speeding this up, but the goal is to ensure that it will not stop again. Let's finish this work", he assured.
In addition to the funds reserved in the Multi-Year Plan, the rectory has an alternative, as the construction project was enabled to raise funds through the Culture Incentive Law, the so-called Rouanet Law.
The plan is to make the two funding sources run in parallel. “We put our eggs in two baskets and, as a result, the chances are much greater”, explained the dean.
Meirelles believes that incentive laws should be further explored by the university.
“This type of resource is part of Unicamp’s budget, but the possibilities that currently exist in the areas of Culture, Sports and others are greater than we can take advantage of”, he assesses.
“If we get financing through the incentive law, it will be great, because we will save our budget. If not, the money is already reserved”, explains Talita Mendes, advisor to Depi (Executive Directorate of Integrated Planning) at Unicamp.
According to her, the funds from the incentive law can be released more quickly, as the company providing the service is not subject to possible restrictions in the legislation applied to the public service.
Unicamp is currently carrying out drainage work and renovation of the roof in the theater area, work that began last year.
“This is something long awaited by the community. If we look at 2019, when there were no prospects, it is a source of great joy to know that the process of resuming the work is at this stage”, said the director of the Institute of Arts, Paulo Ronqui.
According to him, a broad fundraising campaign should be launched from August onwards.
The theater
The Instituto de Artes Laboratory Theater began to be installed nine years ago in an area of 4,8 square meters on the Barão Geraldo campus. Chosen through a competition, the project was approved in 2001, but the Executive Project - the phase in which the elements necessary for the complete execution of the work are detailed - was only completed in 2008.
The works only began in 2011 and were halted two years later due to structural flaws and the absence of complementary projects.
According to Talita Mendes, in 2015 work was carried out to reinforce the building's structure; In 2018, a report issued by Unicamp experts attested to the building's safety. So far, R$8,6 million has been spent on the project.
