Cassino da Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, 1942, arquiteto Oscar Niemeyer
Foto Abilio Guerra

Gabriela Celani and David Sperling: When and where have you been to Brazil? What is your opinion about Brazilian architecture and about Latin American architecture in general?

Antoine Picon: I have not been very often to Latin America. I’ve been just two or three times in Brazil, and the last time was a very long time ago. I’ve been invited by the University of Belo Horizonte but we haven’t been able to find a date yet. I’ve been once to Argentina and once to Chile, because I’m sharing the Fondation Le Corbusier.

GC/DS: Have you been to São Paulo?

AP: Yes, and I love São Paulo. It’s a magnificent city. Every time I’ve been in Brazil, I’ve been in São Paulo. But I have a very superficial view [of Brazilian architecture]. Modernism [in Brazil] is an admirable thing. When you see Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, this is magnificent. When you see Artigas… there is this great modernist tradition in Latin America. But I think Latin America has not embraced as enthusiastically the digital. They’ve been a bit stuck into the modernist utopia and it might be time to wake up. But this is my very superficial impression. Even in Chile and Argentina it’s still very much modern and not yet completely contemporary. But I don’t know the continent well enough. In my experience I found the education structure a bit conservative. But the present arrives sooner or later. The French have the same problem, and that is why so often the French and Latin Americans agree on things. There is sometimes a temptation to refuse the most recent trends.

Edifício da FAU USP, São Paulo, 1961-1969, arquitetos Vilanova Artigas e Carlos Cascaldi
Foto Abilio Guerra