magazines
my city ISSN 1982-9922
253.06 Rio de Janeiroyear 22, aug. 2021
abstracts
português
O britânico Kenneth Frampton, importante crítico e historiador de arquitetura radicado nos Estados Unidos, encaminha carta aberta aos Docomomo Internacional e Brasil reforçando a luta pela preservação do edifício como propriedade do Estado.
english
The British Kenneth Frampton, an important critic and historian of architecture based in the United States, sends an open letter to Docomomo Internacional and Brazil, reinforcing the fight for the preservation of the building as State property.
how to quote
FRAMPTON, Kenneth. Letter from Kenneth Frampton to Ana Tostões and Renato Gama-Rosa Costa, presidents of Doco. Capanema Palace at risk. Minha Cidade, São Paulo, year 22, n. 253.06, Vitruvius, aug. 2021 <https://vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/minhacidade/21.253/8218/en>.
Palácio Capanema, originally Ministry of Education and Health, later Ministry of Education and Culture, Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil, 1936-1945. Architects Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Jorge Moreira, Carlos Leão and Ernani Vasconcellos
Foto/Photo Nelson Kon
Dear Ana Tostões, Docomomo lnternational Chair, and Renato Gama-Rosa Costa, Docomomo Brazil Chair,
It is hard to conceive of any Neoliberal event more barbaric than the peremptory decision to auction off the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro and l hope that both together and separately you will be able to make this letter of protest as widely known as possible in an effort to contribute to the level of public outrage that such barbarism necessarily requires.
This building, dating from 1936, is not only one of the most significant civic works to be achieved by the young Brazilian Modern Movement under the leadership of Lúcio Costa but it would also come to be associated by both its programmatic intent & design with equitable modernization of Brazilian society. Although the Ministry may have long since moved to Brasilia it still stands as a national symbol of the welfare of the society as a whole, both within Brazil and beyond.
With its meaningful & moving tiled murals by Cândido Portinari, its highly innovative adjustable brise soleil and its roof garden by Roberto Burle Marx it remains a synthetic work of the highest cultural caliber and as such ought to remain in the public domain in perpetuity. It is to be hoped that the government will reconsider its wantonly unjustifiable decision to sell the building into private ownership.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Frampton
note
NE – On the subject, see also: TOSTÕES, Ana; COSTA, Renato da Gama-Rosa. Heritage under siege in Brazil. Capanema Palace for sale. Minha Cidade, São Paulo, ano 21, n. 253.04, Vitruvius, ago. 2021 <https://vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/minhacidade/21.253/8216/en>; ROLNIK, Raquel. Feirão de um sonho de país. Palácio Capanema à venda. Minha Cidade, São Paulo, ano 21, n. 253.03, Vitruvius, ago. 2021 <https://vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/minhacidade/21.253/8204>; CAU/BR, Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Brasil; et. al. “O MEC não pode ser vendido!”. Manifesto contra ameaça de venda do Palácio Capanema. Drops, São Paulo, ano 21, n. 167.06, Vitruvius, ago. 2021 <https://vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/drops/21.167/8203>.
about the author
Kenneth Frampton is Emeritus Ware Professor of Architecture, by the Graduate School of Planning, Preservation & Architecture, Columbia University.
