In this text, Le Corbusier attempted to provide additional critical reflections on his conflictive experience with architectural projects in Brazil. The following issue of Movimento Brasileiro announced that a second part of this article would be published, though that never came to pass.
The influence of the Plan Voisin (1922–25)—a pioneering project by celebrated Swiss architect Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, 1887–1965) to redesign downtown Paris—was international in scope. His conception of rationalism attempted to use architecture to improve the living conditions of residents of overcrowded cities. For that reason, Le Corbusier’s visit to Brazil, especially to Rio de Janeiro, sparked a great deal of interest in the press.
On the Ministério de Eduçação e Saúde (MES) building, in construction from 1936 to 1943, the essential modern architectural project designed by a group of Brazilian architects under the guidance of Le Corbusier, see Lúcio Costa’s texts “A solução definitiva = The definitive solution” [ICAA digital archive (doc. no. 111008)] and “Max Bill e a arquitetura brasileira vistos por Lucio Costa: oportunidade perdida” (doc. no. 1110331), where the author takes a controversial view of the MES.
This article was published in Movimento Brasileiro, a journal of criticism and news about politics and art published in Rio de Janeiro in 1928 and 1929; during its first year (1928), the publication was called simply Movimento. The journal’s editor was Renato [de] Almeida, who had participated in the Semana de Arte Moderna (1922).
Movimento Brasileiro published two articles on the repercussions of the arrival of the famous architect. In 1929, Le Corbusier visited the country at the invitation of the Instituto Central de Arquitetos (in what was then the capital of Brazil) to give two lectures: “Revolução arquitetural” and “Urbanismo” [see “As conferências de Le Corbusier” (doc. no. 780364) and “O sentido moderno do Brasil” (doc. no. 781189)]. For further reading, see Lúcio Costa’s “1951: depoimento de um arquiteto carioca” (doc. no. 1110348); Max Bill’s “O arquiteto, a arquitetura, a sociedade” (doc. no. 1110329); and Mário Barata’s “A arquitetura como plástica e a importância atual da síntese das artes” (doc. no. 1086776).