Casa de Detenção, Cultural center in Recife, Brazil.
Casa de Detenção is a neoclassical building with a cross-shaped layout centered around a surveillance room, designed using the panoptic system developed in the 19th century. Today it contains multiple levels filled with shops selling traditional handicrafts and regional products from Pernambuco state.
Construction began in 1850 under engineer José Mamede Alves Ferreira, creating the first radial panoptic prison in South America. Its design influenced penal architecture across the region and represented a shift toward modern prison planning methods.
The building now contains artisan workshops and cultural venues set within the former prison cells. Visitors encounter local craftspeople working with traditional techniques, transforming the old institutional spaces into places of creative expression.
The building offers multiple entrances and walkways through different floors of shops and exhibition spaces. Plan enough time to explore the artisan shops and observe the architectural layout without feeling rushed.
The central watchtower that once monitored prisoners remains visible and marks the physical shift from a penal facility to a cultural space. This architectural feature shows how the same structure now serves completely different purposes.
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