METAMUSEUM: Analysis of Lebbeus Woods’ work as basis for proposing the Workers’ Museum in Recife’s oldest neighborhood (B.Arch Thesis)
Author: Pedro Arruda / Advisor: Ana Rolim
Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Brazil

Lebbeus Woods’ legacy, particularly his hand-drawn architectural concepts, serves as inspiration for reimagining the Union of Sugar and Alcohol of the State of Pernambuco (SindAçúcar) terminal, originally used for storing sugar. Through Woods' interpretative tools for site analysis and adaptive reuse, six typologies emerge: high-house, bubble, subterranean, scar, monolithic, and experimental space.

The intervention transforms the terminal into a museum honoring Brazilian workers, embodying narratives of violence, strength, and the passage of time. Embracing the scar typology, the museum's design symbolically exposes historical wounds while reshaping the city's landscape.

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Overall view from Northeast	Site plan	The sugar cane culture depicted in Brazilian art and its historic presence at the project's site
Overall view of existing building which houses the Union of Sugar and Alcohol of the State of Pernambuco (SindAçúcar)	The industrial structures are expressive, marking its presence in the city skyline	View towards main entrance
The typologies identified in Lebbeus Woods' work: high-house; bubble; subterranean; scar; monolithic and experimental space	The narrative of the architectural parti	View from North
Main entrance on ground floor	View from access towards exhibition spaces	New volumes are integrated into the existing structure
The functional rooms: auditorium and projection rooms	View from East elevation	Detail of exhibition space
Temporary (right) and permanent (left) exhibition spaces	The dialogue between existing and new structures	Sensory exhibition space
Service entrance on ground floor	View from main access	Museum's technical spaces, such as collection and administration
	Overall view from Northeast	Overall interior view at sunset