Origins of Brazilian Modernism
by Marcio Oliveira
(originally written in 98 for Maquis, a Geocities homepage I used to keep)
After the First World War the echoes of the European cultural production started to arrive at Brazilian shores with somewhat increased intensity. The European influence reached its highest point in 1922, when the 'week of modern art' was held in São Paulo, with exhibits of paintings, sculptures, literature, theater, etc. To this date the week of 22 remains as the most preeminent manifestation of the introduction of the avant garde movement into the Brazilian cultural production. For its architectural portion, this important period culminated in 1929 with the construction of the first 'modernist' house designed by the Russian immigrant Gregory Warchavchik in São Paulo.
The Brazilian architectural movement was decisively influenced by its European counterpart during the 1929 visit made by French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, in which he lectured, held meetings with preeminent authorities and, in his own words, fell in love with Rio's unique landscape. This sudden passion led to the issuing of an intriguing proposal of architecture/urbanism for the city, in which a long slab-block was combined with an elevated highway-like structure winding in-between the city's mountains.
In 1930 it was the American Frank Lloyd Wright who visited the country and, caught by surprise in an ongoing battle, voluntarily sided with striking students of the National School of Fine Arts, who were then protesting against the dismissal of Lucio Costa of the post of Director of the School. Costa was at the time trying to induce new modern theories and reform the traditional neo-colonial style that dominated the curriculum of the school. He then invited Warchavchik and others to join him, but within a few months both were forced out by the entrenched scholars which opposed the insertion of these new theories. Nevertheless, Costa's ephemeral stay as head of the Beaux-arts was fundamental to the establishment of the modernist theories in Brazil, as it contributed to raise the level of the architectural discourse at the time and, undoubtedly, convinced a whole new generation of native architects to venture into the new domain.
As for Wright's participation, although it was instrumental in helping the eventual success of the students' cause, his 'romantic agrarian' theories had little effect on the work of young Brazilian designers, which remained almost unanimously devoted to and inspired by the formal qualities of European architecture as expressed by the CIAMs' manifestos, particularly The Athens Charter of 1941. This preference may be exemplified by the invitation sent to Le Corbusier in 1936 by the Minister of Education Gustavo Capanema, in which he was asked to act as a consultant in the design and construction of a new building for the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro. Selected to work with the French master was a team of young Brazilian architects composed by Lucio Costa, Carlos Leão, Afonso Reidy, Ernani Vasconcellos and Oscar Niemeyer.
The ensuing building, a modified slab-block with monumental proportions, sleek concrete pilotis on its base and brise-soleil on the facades, was based on early sketches and proposals by Corbusier, but its final design may be credited to the Brazilian team, which incorporated new autochthonous elements, thus offering a 'first sense' of things to come in the new Brazilian free-form modernism. The effort is now considered to be one of the milestones for the consolidation of the new international style in South America as it helped stimulate a worldwide attention to the architectural production in the continent and specially in Brazil.
References:
(originally written in 98 for Maquis, a Geocities homepage I used to keep)
After the First World War the echoes of the European cultural production started to arrive at Brazilian shores with somewhat increased intensity. The European influence reached its highest point in 1922, when the 'week of modern art' was held in São Paulo, with exhibits of paintings, sculptures, literature, theater, etc. To this date the week of 22 remains as the most preeminent manifestation of the introduction of the avant garde movement into the Brazilian cultural production. For its architectural portion, this important period culminated in 1929 with the construction of the first 'modernist' house designed by the Russian immigrant Gregory Warchavchik in São Paulo.
The Brazilian architectural movement was decisively influenced by its European counterpart during the 1929 visit made by French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, in which he lectured, held meetings with preeminent authorities and, in his own words, fell in love with Rio's unique landscape. This sudden passion led to the issuing of an intriguing proposal of architecture/urbanism for the city, in which a long slab-block was combined with an elevated highway-like structure winding in-between the city's mountains.
In 1930 it was the American Frank Lloyd Wright who visited the country and, caught by surprise in an ongoing battle, voluntarily sided with striking students of the National School of Fine Arts, who were then protesting against the dismissal of Lucio Costa of the post of Director of the School. Costa was at the time trying to induce new modern theories and reform the traditional neo-colonial style that dominated the curriculum of the school. He then invited Warchavchik and others to join him, but within a few months both were forced out by the entrenched scholars which opposed the insertion of these new theories. Nevertheless, Costa's ephemeral stay as head of the Beaux-arts was fundamental to the establishment of the modernist theories in Brazil, as it contributed to raise the level of the architectural discourse at the time and, undoubtedly, convinced a whole new generation of native architects to venture into the new domain.
As for Wright's participation, although it was instrumental in helping the eventual success of the students' cause, his 'romantic agrarian' theories had little effect on the work of young Brazilian designers, which remained almost unanimously devoted to and inspired by the formal qualities of European architecture as expressed by the CIAMs' manifestos, particularly The Athens Charter of 1941. This preference may be exemplified by the invitation sent to Le Corbusier in 1936 by the Minister of Education Gustavo Capanema, in which he was asked to act as a consultant in the design and construction of a new building for the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro. Selected to work with the French master was a team of young Brazilian architects composed by Lucio Costa, Carlos Leão, Afonso Reidy, Ernani Vasconcellos and Oscar Niemeyer.
The ensuing building, a modified slab-block with monumental proportions, sleek concrete pilotis on its base and brise-soleil on the facades, was based on early sketches and proposals by Corbusier, but its final design may be credited to the Brazilian team, which incorporated new autochthonous elements, thus offering a 'first sense' of things to come in the new Brazilian free-form modernism. The effort is now considered to be one of the milestones for the consolidation of the new international style in South America as it helped stimulate a worldwide attention to the architectural production in the continent and specially in Brazil.
References:
- Costa, Lucio. Relatorio do Plano Piloto de Brasilia, 1990.
- Ludwig, Armin K. Brasilia's First Decade: A Study of its Urban Morphology and Urban Support Systems, 1980.
- Holston, James.The Modernist City: An Anthropological Critique of Brasilia. PhD Thesis,1989.
- Bullrich, Francisco. New Directions in Latin American Architecture. 1969.
- Mindlin, Henrique E. Modern Architecture in Brazil. 1956.
- Benevolo, Leonardo. Historia da Arquitetura Moderna. 1989.
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