During the pre-carnival period, in one of Brazil’s most cultural cities — Recife — at the “Marco Zero” landmark, Sarasá Institute carries out the update of field surveys of the historic headquarters of the Commercial Association of Pernambuco (ACP).
At the beginning of 2025, as an initial and partial preservation effort, Zeladoria do Patrimônio Cultural (Cultural Heritage Care) actions were developed for some of the building’s integrated elements — such as the main entrance door and its English-style iron staircase.
In an initiative that echoes the invitation “ACP opens its doors, and ACP invites you to come up”, we present the historical context of this palacete — a place that witnesses time, the river, and the memory of the city. Built between 1911 and 1915, when the central area of Pernambuco’s capital was undergoing an extensive urban renovation, the building stands out for its beauty and grandeur, serving as a cultural, historical, and touristic reference.
Through the eyes of Hermes, the Greek god of commerce — whose sculpture crowns the ACP’s rooftop belvedere — one can see Recife and reach the horizon. Facing the former Port of Recife, Hermes symbolizes vigilance and the prosperity of maritime trade in the region.
Between 2019 and 2020, Estúdio Sarasá carried out the conservation and restoration of stained glass windows, artistic elements that symbolize the cycles of production, raw materials, and means of transport, and that also reference the city of Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of Brazil. The project was a partnership with the Association of Friends of the Museum of the City of Recife (Amuc) and with the ACP, and can be seen in the video below:
A construction site opens up, its arts and humanities.
