Beira railway station: modern architecture as an urban catalyst

Abstract

Situated on the Indian Ocean coast, the city of Beira was, throughout the last century, a vital outlet for the inland African British-controlled territories. Inaugurated in 1966, the Beira Central Station was intended as a mark of Portuguese Colonial Africa modernity. After independence in 1975, the building’s significance and importance for the city has persisted until today. In recent decades, however, due to economic decline and natural disasters, both the station and the city have suffered severe deterioration. But the cultural and symbol ic significance of the building is also undeniably on the urban scale, and the railway station may become a critical factor in Beira’s urban centre regeneration, furthermore performing an important social role. This paper aims to argue the importance of exploring the functional program as well as a participatory process in the rehabilitation methodology, thus reinforcing the potential of an iconic building of the Modern Movement as a catalyst for urban renewal and social cohesion of the city of Beira.