Quebra-sóis. Technology and Abstraction in Brasilia

Abstract

The trajectory of Brazilian modernist architecture can be narrated through three emblematic journeys: Le Corbusier’s 1929 trip to Latin America, which later influenced the design of the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro; President Juscelino Kubitschek’s journey to establish Brasilia as a symbol of postcolonial national identity; and, finally, the journey of architects, builders, and technologies toward Brasilia, the first city designed by and for the airplane. This trajectory also reflects the process undertaken by architects to adapt modernist principles to tropical climates. The brise-soleil, a hallmark of Brazilian modernism, encapsulates this evolution, transforming from a functional technical element into a key component of the symbolic construction of the new capital.