Brazil Builds- interferences in Portuguese Summer houses

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1 YOUNG SCIENTIST 2016 Brazil Builds- interferences in Portuguese Summer houses Tiago Freitas Faculdade de Arquitectura Universidade do Porto Abstract The summer house program will mark a period of acceptance of modern architecture in Portugal. The book Brazil builds will be a strong influence in acceptance of modern codes and languages as well as a reinterpretation of our popular architecture, later translated by the Survey on Popular Architecture in Portugal. The exhibition Brazil Builds was organized in 1942 by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the American Institute of Architects, the idea was of establishing relations between Brazil and the United States, discovering the new modern Brazilian architecture. This exhibition was later promoted as a book that was published in Portugal. The main objective of my paper is to understand the relationship between the Brazil Builds book and the summer houses built in Portugal between 1940 and I will analyze case studies of Brazilian architecture and Portuguese summer houses, giving attention to the main modern movement characteristics. Key words: Brazil builds, summer houses, Portugal, modern movement 1 Introduction The holiday house program in Portugal will mark a period of acceptance of modern architecture. The book builds Brazil, will be a strong influence in acceptance of modern codes and languages as well as a wise reflexion on our popular architecture, translated later in the 1950s by the Survey on Popular Portuguese Architecture. According Raquel Henriques da Silva [1], summer architectures are currently regarded as an architectural type referred to buildings themselves related to uses of a parenthetical time, on a vacation configured situation and time, which includes a disruption of the normal flow of life. The author, quoting Michel Foucault says that summer architectures are "heterotopias, which provide physical decongestion devices and are mainly symbolic. Also according to the author, considering the conceptual point of view, the holiday houses reach an antiurban desire, with the contact with the nature in a more or less civilized manner, being this in in the countryside, on the beaches or in uncertain places. The architects of this period in Portugal will be facing a new housing program and we will testimony, an architectural production of unusual quality.

2 Tiago Freitas 2 Brazil Builds The exhibition Brazil Builds was organized in 1942 by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the American Institute of Architects, the main objective was to create relations between Brazil and the United States, discovering Brazilian architecture. The exhibition was curated by G. E Kidder Smith. Smith`s interests focused on discovering the solutions given by the Brazilians, when controlling the heat and the sun effects on large glass surfaces. The colonial architecture was also one of the main topics of the exhibition, along with the new modern architecture which began to be constructed in Brazil. After this exhibition, a book/catalog was published. Figure 1: Brazil Builds Font: The book focused initially on Portuguese colonial buildings constructed between Manaus and Minas Gerais, highlighting the baroque churches, palaces, and farmhouses of coffee, sugar and rubber. The second part of the book documents the modern architecture in Brazil that began to be built from the 1940s in the large cities, predominantly in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. "(...) Long before the advent of the Vargas government in 1930, appears in Brazil the first traces of modern architecture...in almost a quick time lapse, the features of big cities are transformed, these being Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (...) "[2]. European countries will have an enormous influence on Brazilian culture and education, especially France. Result was the release of Le Corbusier's ideas between the young Brazilian architects. By traveling abroad, Brazilian architects will become familiar with modern architecture. Initially with an unconditional adoption of modern codes, and then giving a personal reinterpretation to their own architecture. These codes will appear in elements such as ramps, windows in lounger, pillotis, butterfly roofs and brise soleils. Brise Soleils, have a huge importance in Brazil, as they are designed to protect the glazed facades of buildings facing the intense light coming from North. Examples of the use of brise soleils in Brazil are the education and health ministry building in Rio de Janeiro, by Oscar Niemeyer, where the adjustable brise soleil, adapts to different intensities of clarity. Yacht Pampulha in Belo Horizonte also designed by Niemeyer or irmãos Robertos building for the Brazilian Press in Rio de Janeiro also make use of this modern technical facility that helps filtrate the intense light. Modern movement language will appear mainly in institutional buildings, but also in individual and collective housing.

3 YOUNG SCIENTIST 2016 Figure 2: Education and Health Ministry building, Oscar Niemeyer, 1940, Rio de Janeiro. Font: Individual Housing in Brazil Builds It will be in some private residences for the bourgeoisie that some Brazilian architects will test modern architecture. In these housing programs, enlightened Brazilian bourgeoisie tries to update its way of living. Let's look at some modern principles in works such as: Cavalcanti House, Óscar Niemeyer, 1940, Rio de Janeiro (fig.3) This private house is located in the area of Gávea in Rio de Janeiro; Niemeyer elevates the house from the ground at one of the sides. This elevation is made with the use of pillotis. The space generated under the house is used for parking and outdoor leisure area Óscar Niemeyer House, Óscar Niemeyer, 1942, Rio de Janeiro (fig.4) This house is also elevated on pilottis, creating an upper floor that enjoys an unobstructed view of the Rodrigues de Freitas lagoon; the use ramps overcome the interior levels. Figure 3:Casa Cavalcanti, Óscar Niemeyer, 1940, Rio de Janeiro. Font: Figure 4: Casa Óscar Niemeyer, Óscar Niemeyer, 1942, Rio de Janeiro. Font:

4 Tiago Freitas João Arnstein House, Bernard Rudofsky, 1941, São Paulo Work of unquestionable modernity, this house organizes itself as a large outdoor and indoor pavilion. The house is organized into different areas distributed around courtyards by the use of walls that divide the property from the exterior. ( )the combination of the areas, large bedrooms are separated from the outside only by sliding glass doors and small gardens full of shadow areas, have the most complete results( ) [3]. Figure 2: João Arnstein House, Bernard Rudofsky, 1941, Rio de Janeiro Font: vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/arquitextos/06.065/ São Luís estate, Aldary Henriques Toledo, 1942, Estado do Rio de Janeiro This holiday house is built in Araruama lake east of the city of Niteroi. The house is organized into an L shape plan, separating it in a functional diagram of daytime area (living room and services) and nightlife area (rooms). A clearly modern organization contrasts with the use of local materials such as stone and wood joinery. 3 Holiday houses in Portugal The summer house program will appear in Portugal in the period of the dictatorship. In Portugal, Sintra becomes the ideal location for the appearance of the first eclectic holiday houses. Cascais or the Granja, and later the Estoril will be the seaside resorts in Portugal between 1865 and the 1930s. From the 1930s onwards tourism will start to develop in Portugal. Duarte Pacheco will have a leading role, implementing the improvement plans of different regions. From the 1930/1940, begins a search for a new architectural model of holiday house, more simple and adapted to the landscape. In the Rodizio, Portuguese architects from the generation of the 1910s, where Keil do Amaral stands as a prominent figure will begin testing new models of the holiday house. From the 1950s and according to Ana Tostões [4], begins a widespread acceptance of modern architecture by an enlightened bourgeoisie that will develop the new seaside resorts. It is in these houses that we will find the adoption of the modern movement codes in functional organizations with some similarities to the examples shown in the book Brazil Builds, being these principles:

5 YOUNG SCIENTIST 2016 The use of Pillotis: In Cardoso Oliveira house (fig.3) and Apartments Silva Pereira (fig.4) all at Ofir, the architects elevate the houses from the ground, not using pilotis, but walls that are constructed in local masonry of granite or schist, originating and open ground floor, for car park or leisure area, these similar solutions are found in Oscar Niemeyer house or Cavalcanti house, the both in Rio de Janeiro. Figure 3: Cardoso Oliveira house, Júlio de Oliveira, 1957, Ofir. Font: Tiago Freitas, 2014 Figure 4: Silva Pereira apartments, Alfredo Ângelo de Magalhães, 1945, Ofir. Font: Tiago Freitas, 2015 The use of ramps: In the house Freitas de Oliveira (fig.5) in São Pedro de Moel and in Ruben A. house in Carreço. At Freitas Oliveira house the use of the ramp is made at the exterior of the house, creating a promenade architectural with a view towards the sea, leading directly to the main balcony. In house Ruben A, the ramp is also a promenade architectural but in the interior, establishing communication between the living room and the bedroom area. The use of ramps appear in the Oscar Niemeyer house in Rio. Figure 5: Freitas Oliveira house, José Barros, 1966, São Pedro de Moel. Font: Tiago Freitas, 2014

6 Tiago Freitas Butterfly roofs: In the nautical clubhouse at Ofir (fig.6), or at Roldão house, (fig.7) in São Pedro de Moel. This inverted roof becomes a modern movement code, seen almost like a trend, we see several holiday houses using this inverted roof.obvious similarities can be associated with the Pampulha Casino of Oscar Niemeyer. Figure 6: Nautical club, 1964, Márcio de Freitas, Ofir. Font: Tiago Freitas, Figure 7: Roldão house, João José Tinoco, 1952, São Pedro de Moel. The use of brise soleil: The use of brise soleils will not appear so often in Portuguese architecture, due to the mild climate, yet in some houses the use of fixed grids will be a reference. In José Malta Junior house (fig. 8) in São Pedro de Moel, The grid is constructed in painted ceramics and is used as a stylistic approach rather than a functional need to control the light. Figure 8: José Malta Júnior house, António Barroseiro, 1958, São Pedro de Moel. Font: Tiago Freitas, 2014.

7 YOUNG SCIENTIST 2016 Bi-nuclear or courtyard houses: These houses are organized functionally around courtyards or even with bi-nuclear compositions (with separate functional areas). In all these houses we can clearly identify a daytime area and a nightime area. Ribeiro da Silva house in Ofir (fig.9), organizes itself in a T shape plan, clearly differentiating services, living and sleeping areas. Ernesto Borges house (fig.10) in São Pedro de Moel, elevated in pilotis is divided into leisure area and sleeping area connected by a passage. João Simões house (fig.11) in São Pedro de Moel, is a clearly modern work in the adoption of the modern codes, as the windows in lounger and the inverted roof, at the same time the house organizes itself into two clearly different zones. Jose Ribera house (Figure 12) in Ofir, organizes itself in (sleeping and living) making the main access to the house by a passage, which visually highlights the difference between the two volumes. Bessa Ribas house (fig.13) in Ofir, is organized as several pavilions around courtyards that functionally organize the different areas of the house, similar to João Arnstein house in Sao Paulo. Other similarities with the Arnstein house, can be seen in the semi-indoor/outdoor patios only separated by shutters from the garden Figure 9: Ribeiro da Silva house, 1957, Fernando Távora, Ofir. Figure 10: Ernesto Borges house, Manuel Alzina de Menezes and Erich Corsepius, 1964, S. Pedro Moel. Figure 11: João Simões house, João Pedro Mota Lima e Pinto e Cunha,1953, São Pedro de Moel. Figure 12: José Ribera house, António Bandeira, 1961, Ofir.

8 Tiago Freitas Figure 13: Bessa Ribas house, Agostinho Ferreira de Almeida, 1967, Ofir. Font: Tiago Freitas, plan redesigned by the author, using the original plan of the house submitted with courtesy by the Esposende town Hall, Porto, Conclusion The holiday house is assumed as the research laboratory of the new models of living of the twentieth century. The book Brazil Builds will bring to Portugal images of what was being constructed in Brazil. Architects, designers and engineers in Portugal, influenced by these images will try to reproduce this modern codes in many of the experiences of holiday house of the decade of 1950, where a more uncompromising and relaxed way of life is imprinted. These holiday pavilions, will question the way the man lives in the single-family house in the twentieth century. References [1] SILVA, Raquel Henriques, Arquitecturas de veraneio in Revista Património, Nº 7, Lisboa, IGESPAR, 2004, p.5. [2] Translated by the author from GOODWIN, Philip L, Brazil builds: architecture new and old: , New York, The Museum of Modern Art, 1944, pp.81. [3] Translated by the author from GOODWIN, Philip L, Brazil builds: architecture new and old: , New York, The Museum of Modern Art, 1944, pp.170. [4] TOSTÕES, Ana, Casas de Férias modernas, anos 50 e estilo contemporâneo- A utopia de uma doce vida, in Jornal de Arquitectos, Nº 196, Lisboa, Ordem dos Arquitectos, 2000, pp. 45.