Paulo Mendes Da Rocha’S Office Se, When Compared to Engineering, Something Drove 1954.1954

An interview with Paulo Mendes 03 da Rocha By Cecília Obiol and Sergio Marques Published in PALIMPSESTO #03 in December 2011 PauloPaulo MendesMendes dada RochaRocha (Vitória,(Vitória, EspiritoEspirito Santo,Santo, 1928)1928) receivedreceived hishis ArchiArchi-- tecturetecture degreedegree fromfrom thethe MackenzieMackenzie PresbyterianPresbyterian UniversityUniversity ofof SaoSao PauloPaulo inin In this interview, held in Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s office se, when compared to engineering, something drove 1954.1954. MemberMember ofof aa genegene-- in Sao Paulo, the architect recalls his beginnings and me to that openness towards what we call a project, ration of Brazilian archi- ration of Brazilian archi- some of the most significant moments of his teaching that is, the projection of ideas that makes things a reality tects led by João Vilanova tects led by João Vilanova and professional careers. Throughout this retrospective before they are actually built, which is in my opinion the Artigas,Artigas, hehe hashas carriedcarried outout anan extensiveextensive professionalprofessional reflection, Mendes da Rocha bluntly explains his vision very essence of the idea of the project. careercareer forfor moremore thanthan fiftyfifty on the current state of architecture, emphasizing the In contrast to engineering, what interested me years,years, withwith aa largelarge numbernumber need to rethink it and aim it towards new goals. most about architecture was a certain feeling of great ofof widelywidely recognizedrecognized freedom on the fundamental question of what must be worksworks likelike thethe PaulistanoPaulistano made, in the most political sense of making decisions. Athletic Club (1957), the Athletic Club (1957), the Today we complain about cities, about urban chaos; BrazilianBrazilian PavilionPavilion atat ExpoExpo ‘70‘70 inin Osaka,Osaka, thethe BrazilianBrazilian Beginnings and learning period Sao Paulo is a very good example, but it is the same all SculptureSculpture Museum,Museum, (1986),(1986), around the world. Under these circumstances, one can oror thethe renovationrenovation andand rehareha-- How and when did you decide to become an clearly see that the main reason, the fundamental sub- bilitationbilitation ofof thethe PinacotecaPinacoteca architect? ject of what we call architecture, is nowadays addres- dodo EstadoEstado inin SaoSao PauloPaulo sed in terms of city planning. (1999).(1999). I do not really believe in beforehand vocation, I cannot TheThe generalgeneral acclaimacclaim ofof hishis imagine how anyone’s destiny can be becoming an Is the construction of the city today, and still, the workwork culminatedculminated inin 20062006 architect. In my case, let us say since my childhood, main scenario of architecture? whenwhen hehe waswas awardedawarded thethe learning has always been linked to that idea of the virtue PritzkerPritzker ArchitectureArchitecture Prize.Prize. of built space. I was born in the city of Vitória, in Espírito The gradual construction of the city, little by little, by HeHe hashas simultaneouslysimultaneously Santo, a seaport. As it is well known, a seaport has adding, by sedimentation... We could say that the main carried out an intense tea- carried out an intense tea- a decisive influence on learning, if one pays attention duty of architecture is to prevent disaster. One cannot chingching careercareer asas aa professorprofessor atat thethe ArchitectureArchitecture andand to what we can call maritime works, because the sea imagine a perfect, finished city, but if we do not know UrbanismUrbanism CollegeCollege ofof SaoSao is not an easy environment: ships, ports, shipyards, what to do, at least we can choose what not to do. I PauloPaulo (FAUSP).(FAUSP). cranes, machines, commerce... It is a very active port am aware that what I am saying is a commonplace, town. Furthermore, as time went by I started having and that architects generally agree with this idea, but different thoughts, which led me every time and in a it does not hurt to reach some kind of consensus; to natural way towards those original memories about the agree on the idea that the main subject is not anymore condition of the place. Ships have always established the palladian view on composition, symmetry, isolated those kinds of relationships between a small place and and idealized objects, but rather the result of, precisely, the whole world, and I slowly became aware of that. My what a city is. This was more or less what my education father was an engineer, and my education was always was based on. To such an extent that, to this day, I am based on the standpoint that all things can be built; in surprised by my regard for the decisions I have to make, other words, nature always represented more than mere which in some way have to do with those same child- landscape, a series of phenomena, seas, landfills, stable hood memories... that are not the same anymore. When or unstable territories... Without considering architecture one recalls a memory fifty years after, it is stored there, or even engineering as goals themselves, I started stud- waiting for the right time, but it has become something ying them both almost inadvertently until the time came else, a product of reflection. Our life is a discourse; there to choose what to do, and I chose architecture becau- is no way out of that. WORDS WITH ARCHITECTS 33 Paulistano Athletic Club Gymnasium, Sao Paulo, 1958 Brazilian Pavilion at the Expo 70, Osaka, 1969 And then, after this decision more or less driven by I started working very soon. I entered the competition the competition phase. Lina was a very intelligent woman, which allowed her to childhood memories, what was your education like? for the gymnasium of the Paulistano Athletics Club, and That project was later awarded the Grand Interna- develop her own universe. But what I call intuition is not Who were your teachers? What role did Vilanova I won, and this was crucial. Not so much for the fact of tional Prize at the 4th Art Biennial in the architecture something that arises from the purely abstract sphere. Artigas play? winning, but because I entered a circle of distinguished category, with Affonso Eduardo Reidy, one of the most Intuition is a positive and fundamental element that colleagues. In fact, Vilanova Artigas got in touch with brilliant architects in our history, as a member of the results from the process of invention, what we may call I attended a private school, the Mackenzie University. me after the competition result. jury. So, I somehow ended up among a group of very the creative process, which invokes what it must invoke. The dean was, so to speak, a classical architect; he was I was 29 at the time, and I entered the competition interesting people, while I was still very young. Like in Because everyone chooses their memory as a way of the famous Cristiano Stocker das Neves, whose ethical just after finishing my studies, mostly in order to have that Poem by Edgar Allan Poe, “coveted by the winged knowing, and that is what intuition is about: choosing stance deeply influenced our education. We had already a first experience, with total freedom and with no real seraphs of heaven”. For that reason I sometimes feel the right memories. started to reject his works, but his attitude towards hopes of winning. I did not follow a particular style; like I did not do enough, that with all those opportuni- society, the perception of what he did had a great in- it was a very fresh, intuitive process. I went back to ties I was given I could have done more, and better. fluence on my education. The Chair of construction and that vision of great space that had built up during my Professional career structural design, which had great weight in the school, childhood before the sea and I realized the site was Speaking of two respected figures like Vilanova was directed by an extraordinary man, Roberto Zúculo. extraordinary, that it was not worth building a closed Artigas and Reidy, what do you think of the way The explicit expression of structure is a key subject He was the engineer that imported the pre-stressed space; I did not draw inspiration from other already critics, and specifically European critics, frequently in your work. Eventually, like in the case of the Brazi- structural system. He had a very important office, he built gymnasiums. So I made a proposal for an open establish a distinction between the Rio de Janeiro lian Pavilion in Osaka, the structure shows a certain designed bridges and other civil constructions, and he square, with the first project drafts that are usually school, and the Sao Paulo school? poetry, which transcends mere technical adequacy. was a brilliant man. I learned from him to neatly develop made for competitions, at a scale of 1/200... But How do you integrate this into the design process? the vision of what must be built. Therefore, I learned everything was already there. Once again, I was very I never understood it, probably because I never liked from the very beginning that art, science and technique lucky, because competitions not always end happi- that distinction. Both Vilanova Artigas and Reidy’s works During the concept stage of the project, everything are mutually concomitant. ly; they depend greatly on the jury. And the jury was show a clear degree of coherence. It is not about those originates at the same time, in a way that is inherent Shortly after finishing my studies I was taken on by formed by, no less, Rino Levi and Plínio Croce, among works being or not similar. In architecture, resemblance to human thought, and that is difficult to explain. The Vilanova Artigas as his assistant at the University of Sao others. I won, and then I asked myself: how am I from a formal point of view is not what matters, what Osaka Pavilion, which was also a competition, is an Paulo, and this completed my education because he going to build this now? During the competition I had matters is the genealogy of imagination based on the interesting example, because of the lack of explicit con- was a brilliant architect, whose way of reasoning was consulted the engineer I have already talked about, idea and the spatial arrangement, supported by a clear tent requirements.

Load more