Batman Alley

A spontaneous tourist spot in São Paulo, Beco do Batman is located in Vila Madalena, a neighborhood in São Paulo known for its diverse cultural life, galleries, bars and restaurants. Since the 1980s, the area has been the focus of artists who use the walls of houses in an alley to create their graffiti art. Attracting more and more national and international visitors, the Beco suffers from a lack of accessibility, signage and adequate lighting. In addition, on days of extreme rain, the Beco can be flooded with 1.5m of water in just a few minutes. Since this location is next to Superlimão, it was decided to propose to the city, in the form of a pro bono project, a revitalization of the space that improves the deficient points, without changing the authentic characteristics that have transformed Beco do Batman into the attraction that it is. The project proposes a diffuse lighting project to provide greater safety for those who use the space at night, as well as expographic lighting that highlights the murals. The floor would be changed to allow accessibility for all, using draining materials and also reusing all existing cobblestones, both in flooring and in furniture and urban equipment. In order to work with the high volume of water on rainy days, a curved baseboard would be built in masonry for better hydrodynamics, avoiding subsidence of the existing walls. The project was discussed among the people of the community who have lived there for decades, as well as the community of artists and public authorities. In these discussions, an opportunity was seen to extend the area of the Beco, establishing a link between the alley between Harmonia and Girassol streets, through a visual connection on the floor, and also between the alley and Beco do Aprendiz. This alley, in turn, is a channeling of the Rio Verde that currently has no access to Girassol Street. The proposal is to make a level floor along the entire route using a metal plate and removing the upper part of the river channeling. This way, it is possible to achieve a closer relationship between people and the river. Beco do Aprendiz would be revitalized, also bringing accessibility and lighting and a great diversity of murals. Today, the space is underused and has a large area where people do not feel safe to walk.