Usina do Gasômetro

The Usina do Gasômetro Cultural Center is one of the most important and well-known cultural spaces in Porto Alegre. It operates in the former Gasômetro thermoelectric plant, inaugurated on November 15, 1928, in the so-called Arsenal Beach, designed to generate coal-based energy. Its historical importance is undeniable, since it was the stage of industrialization still incipient in Brazil.
The architectural complex was named for its proximity to the former Carbonated Hydrogen Gas Plant, which provided gas for public lighting and stove supplies, built in 1874, and named after the region, which was known as “the return of the Gasometer “. In 1974 the Plant terminates its operations as an energy generator and is deactivated. In 1982, Eletrobrás transferred the land to the county. That same year, the state government tore down the chimney, and in 1983, the municipal government demolished the building.
It was opened to the population as Cultural Center in the year 1991. The 18 thousand square meters of area houses auditoriums, multipurpose rooms, amphitheatres, spaces for exhibitions, cinema and theater. In March 2005, the Usina das Artes was created, a space of reference for theater and dance companies that, based on a public notice, occupy an artistic residence aiming at the development of language. From there, these groups offer a variety of activities, such as show performances, workshops, courses and workshops.