Building Brazil 1822-2022; a photo essay

Mubashir TM

The exhibition starts with a series of photos which were captured and
curated by Cristiano Mascaro and Leonardo Finotti which was depicting how Brazilian
architecture has evolved in the past 200 years of independence. The works of
landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx were exhibited and it shows the evolution of
architecture during the 19th century and how it was not affected by the world war when
all the other parts of world architecture stopped.

The initial few pictures were explaining how Brazilian architecture

mostly consisted of European style. There were a few particular examples in which
landscape design which might be seemed as forest in the second look can be identified
as planned design which has meaning to it. The amazing fact about Brazilian
architecture was they were never afraid to incorporate their vernacular architecture with
contemporary architecture. This can be seen in many of their projects which were built
during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

During the period of 1930s, the architecture design has changed from
simple for such as straight and boxy to curvy and complex. Oscar Niemeyer was the
pioneer among the Brazilian architect who helped in achieving such diverse architecture
for Brazil. Niemeyer revolutionised Brazilian architecture by rejecting traditional,
European-influenced styles in favour of new, more attractive designs. Especially in
towns like Brasil, where he was able to acquire a structural solution that would set the
city's architecture apart. To accomplish this, he altered the structures such that the
columns narrowed to the point where the structures appeared to barely touch the
ground.There were a few examples of buildings that were created on pilotis .

The building of the Art Museum of Sao Paulo is one of the major works of modern
architecture in Brazil, one of the icons of the renewal of the city. It was designed by the
Italian architect, nationalized Brazilian, Lina Bo Bardi, in 1958, considered as one of the
first few architectural works done by a foreign-born architect. It also has the feature of
the building raised from the ground with pilotis technique concrete structure thus helps
in integrating public with the building. The museum was also special because here the
artworks were not displayed on the wall rather on a temperate glass sheet on a block.
 Casa de Vidro, on the outskirts of São Paulo, creating a main living space that's
lined with windows and raised on pilotis to accommodate for the sloping site.This
helped in the landscape to flow through the building without causing hindrance.
Brutalism was also seen in some of the buildings. This was also incorporated into public
buildings to create public places where people can relax in shade. Brasilia which is the
capital city of brazil is also designed by Oscar niemeyer and it would see a great
experiment in modernist architecture. Government buildings, churches and civic
buildings would be constructed in the modernist style.