Children's Home in Paraná is restored for the Department of Culture

The Children's Home was designed by architect Vilanova Artigas and engineer Carlos Cascaldi in 1953 to be the first daycare center in the city of Londrina. Opened in 1955, it served the children of Londrina until 1984, when it became the Municipal Department of Education and Culture and Public Library. However, the years as a department did not serve the project well. Difficulties with bidding processes and companies unable to maintain the building's unique and original features left the project in a very poor state of repair. In 2016, however, after six years, the renovation was completed and the building was reopened to the city on April 4. - Today, Casa da Criança houses the Municipal Department of Culture and the Children's Library, a tribute that refers to its first function, in addition to providing space for various cultural events such as "storytelling" and book launches, by appointment. Children play in the manor house In 1955, Vilanova Artigas was in northern Paraná, leading a series of infrastructure projects for the young coffee city. The projects included the Ouro Verde Theater, a bus station, and a daycare center. The Children's Home was then built in the center to care for children aged six months to one and a half years, and soon became a reference and a heritage for the people of Londrina. The building is clearly inspired by the rationalism of Dutch and German buildings from the 1920s and by the work of French architect Le Courbusier: the façade is dynamic, with pilotis, an open floor plan, longitudinal windows and a garden roof. The “L” shape was a solution for the uneven terrain. Its four floors were interconnected by ramps that, despite being steep, ensure flow and continuity between floors. Artigas, concerned about the occupants of the house, designed windows and corridors that ensure completely natural ventilation and internal lighting. This architecture makes the Children’s Home a truly public building, designed for people; a heritage site with many stories to tell.

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