Arquitetura para o apoio ao combate da tuberculose em Salvador na primeira metade do século XX.

Abstract

Antituberculosis architecture emerged as a coordinated therapeutic network to combat the disease on a global scale. Salvador, with a high incidence of tuberculosis, erected buildings aligned with the international movement aligned with the international movement, innovating in the composition of its network. This research addresses the influence of architecture in supporting the fight against tuberculosis in Salvador, Bahia, throughout the first half of the 20th century, considering it a highly lethal disease in the region. The hypothesis underlying this research posits that the architecture developed to support the fight against the epidemic in the capital of Bahia played a strategic and distinctive role in controlling and preventing the spread of the disease. Thus, the proposed study sought to understand architecture as a tool to support the fight against the disease in the context, delving into both international influences and regional characteristics that influenced the conception and construction of buildings designed for epidemic control. Analyzing the historiographic construction of antituberculosis architecture in the region, the research highlights the city’s relevant role in the national context. Through the analysis of international scientific and architectural literature, the research reveals Salvador’s importance in this scenario and the contribution of its network of buildings to disease contagion containment. The study emphasizes the uniqueness network in Salvador, composed of sanatorium, dispensarie, preventorium, teaching hospital and research institute. At the same time, it emphasizes the scarcity of comprehensive records documenting the history of tuberculosis from the city’s perspective and expands on this approach. The primary focus of the research lies in the historiographic construction of the architecture of the buildings that constituted the tuberculosis assistance network in the city and its regional particularities. These included the Ramiro de Azevedo Dispensary, the Santa Terezinha Preventorium, the Santa Terezinha Sanatorium Complex (with emphasis on the Santa Terezinha Sanatorium Hospital), the Brazilian Institute for Tuberculosis Research, and the Tisiologic Clinic Hospital. The conception and adaptation of these structures to meet the specific needs in combating tuberculosis are highlighted. This research not only constructs an understanding of the historiography of antituberculosis architecture in Salvador but also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to integrate the complex interactions between health, architecture, and society. The study contributes to the safeguarding of history, cultural memory, and historiographic recognition of the antituberculosis network built in Salvador in the 20th century. Furthermore, by recognizing the legacy left by these strategies for combating tuberculosis contagion, foundations are laid for addressing contemporary challenges in public health and architectures geared toward tackling epidemic diseases.