Brasilia: living within modernist standards
Brasilia: living within modernist standards by: Marcio N. de Oliveira (originally written in 98 for Maquis, my old Geocities homepage) Introduction: Latin American countries have always pursued a sense of urban utopia. Nowhere else have modernistic urban theories, above all Le Corbusier's, controlled the minds of practicing architects and urban designers as much as in Latin America and specially Brazil. Brasilia was designed according to them and quite clearly exemplifies the shortcoming of such urban theories. Erected in record setting time of three years (1957-60), the city was planned in relation to Brazil's need to conquer physically, culturally and economically its own continent sized countryside. With this short essay I intend to show one view, the one of a natural Brasiliense , born and raised in Brasilia, living the daily life within modernist standards. Superquadras and Apartment Blocks: In Brasilia's urban landscape the central city was made up of two dense res