Brasilia in Context: The Dissemination and Character of Modern Architecture in Brazil

The construction of Brasilia, designed by Lucio Costa as the new capital of Brazil, dedicated in 1959, was a dramatic experience in the history of Brazilian architecture and urban design. It had a tremendous impact on Brazilian architects and urban planners who either participated in its creation or were aware of its development through a number of official and unofficial journals such as Modulo and Habitat. This dissertation explores the architectural and urban context in which Brasilia was created and the impact of its design on later Brazilian architecture and urban planning. Chapter I briefly discusses the general history of Brazilian urbanism from the colonial period up to the creation of the new state capital of Minias Gerais at Belo Horizonte. The primary focus of Chapter II is the Modernist movement in Brazil prior to Brasilia. Central to this discussion is the influence of Le Corbusier, who was a consulting architect on the Ministry of Education, 1936-44. His Dom-ino structural system and "Five Points of a New Architecture" had a pervasive influence on subsequent Modern architecture in Brazil, due to its adaptability to the Brazilian climate and culture. Chapter III discusses Brasilia in context with the creation of Goiania as the new state capital of Goias, the Brazilian "Garden City" movement and the urban development of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Chapter IV is concerned with the continual development of Brasilia and the legacy of Oscar Niemeyer whose Free-form Modern style has taken Brazilian Modern architecture in a new direction. Chapter V discusses the impact of Brasilia after 1960 by means of a regional breakdown. The main focus is on new state capital cities, such as Palmas in Tocantines and Boa Vista in Roraima, and new state capital complexes, such as at Salvador in Bahia, Cuiaba in Mato Grosso, Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, Teresina in Piaui and others. Also discussed are new housing projects, corporate headquarters, university campuses and other buildings and urban designs that can be linked stylistically to the architecture and urban design of Brasilia.