FROM CABARET TO INNOVATION: MEMORY, RUIN AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE CASSINA HOTEL IN MANAUS

Abstract

The study investigates the historical trajectory of the former Hotel Cassina in Manaus, understood as cultural heritage shaped by processes of opulence, decline, and re-signification. The aim is to analyse how the metamorphosis of the building, from a luxury hotel to a cabaret and its recent transformation into an innovation hub, expresses dialogues between collective memory, ruin, and urban reinvention. The research applies a qualitative methodology, based on documentary analysis, oral accounts, journalistic records, and a critical review of academic works, seeking to articulate architectural, social, and symbolic dimensions. The analytical approach highlights that Cassina cannot be restricted to an architectural remnant but operates as an urban palimpsest, where different temporalities overlap and interact. Understanding the building as a locus of multiple memories shows that ruin does not only signify material loss but also opens possibilities for new social uses. Its restoration and transformation into the “Casarão da Inovação” demonstrate the capacity of urban heritage to condense contradictory pasts while projecting horizons for the contemporary city. The preliminary conclusion indicates that the case of Cassina contributes to problematising the role of preservation in urban life, showing that cultural heritage acquires value not only through its physical permanence but also through its ability to generate collective meanings and re-inscribe social practices.