Project

Discipline

Architectural History and Theory; Architectural Aesthetics; Cultural Exchanges; Architects' voyages in the Twentieth Century; Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris); Avant-garde Artists; Americanism; France; South America (Brazil); Switzerland; 1920-1929

Lead
The research project investigates one of the most emblematic journeys of the architect Le Corbusier, namely the first trip to South America in 1929, particularly his stay in Brazil, with an understanding that such traveling began before his ‘physical displacement’ to this country.
Lay summary
The main hypothesis argues that Le Corbusier's exchanges with the artistic network in the twenties inspired and affected his ideas of travel, as well as his understanding of Brazil. By looking at the relationships, notions and expectations that Le Corbusier previously built over Brazil, and later confronted on site, are revealed through other lenses. And, the dialogues with several protagonists, in particular with those of the avant-garde milieu in Paris, may have strongly contributed to it. The network that the architect had built in the twenties within this milieu, and the numerous readings which may have contributed to his ideas of the ‘Americas’ become relevant here, in the investigation of Le Corbusier’s voyage to Brazil. Le Corbusier’s achievements are thus not considered in an isolated manner, but as a multifaceted approach. By evaluating materials – which are held in several Institutions in Switzerland, France and Brazil – as well as new approaches concerning Le Corbusier’s trip to Brazil and his relationship with the artistic milieu; this work shall bring a significant contribution to the current architectural historiographic discourse with respect to Le Corbusier’s concept of travel at the end of the twenties. Consequently, it shall introduce relevant analyses and results to debates on architects’ voyages, as well as to the construction of the notion of travel for the architect in modernity. Such a theme of the architects’ voyages has indeed become central in the scholarly agenda, as traveling has been not only a constitutive part of the architects’ formative experience since Brunelleschi or Alberti, but also one of our most widespread practices in the present era of globalization. It is thus not the aim to study a singular figure within the history of architecture, but to grant an attention to fragments that point to a moment of tensions and exchanges between the artistic and the architectural fields in the late twenties; examining, in particular, how the issue of travel is discussed and presented through these exchanges. Through such a study, it is not only possible to ‘re-draw’ Le Corbusier’s trajectory in one of the most critical moments of rupture in the architect’s written production, but also to work across the architectural discussions at that time, placing Le Corbusier in a wider web of reciprocal influences and circulation of ideas; as well as to construct a sense for the fragmented, or even silenced, discourses within the artistic and architectural debates in the late twenties.

Direct link to Lay Summary

Last update: 17.01.2013

Active participation

Self-organised

Active participation

Communication	Title	Media	Place	Year

Number	Title	Start	Funding scheme

This research project investigates one of the most emblematic journeys of the architect Le Corbusier, namely his first trip to South America, with a particular focus on his stay in Brazil. While Le Corbusier’s official voyage would begin from Bordeaux in September 1929 on the cruiser Massilia, his real journey began long before this transatlantic crossing. It begins in mid-1920s Paris, a time when Le Corbusier was close with avant-garde figures such as Blaise Cendrars, Fernand Léger and artists from Brazil as Oswald de Andrade, Tarsila do Amaral and Di Cavalcanti. The main hypothesis asserts that his exchanges with this network of artists in the 1920s inspired, influenced and affected Le Corbusier’s ideas of travel, as well as his understanding of Brazil. By looking at the relationships, notions and expectations that Le Corbusier previously built over Brazil, and later confronted on site, are revealed through other lenses.More than just a far and exotic place, Brazil was indeed a distinct moment in time for Le Corbusier - when both his personal expectations for travel and his duties as an architect converged. Le Corbusier appears to give evidence that not only might he have understood what traveling would mean for the modern architect, but that he also began to ‘put this understanding into practice’, as seen through his sketches and notes taken while flying above Rio de Janeiro and onboard the cruiser heading back to Europe. Moreover, his engagement with several actors, particularly those of the avant-garde milieu in Paris, may have further contributed to the development of these ideas. The network that the architect had built within this milieu, the numerous readings which may have affected his ideas of the ‘Americas’ become relevant here, in the investigation of Le Corbusier’s voyage to Brazil.The aim of this study is not to focus on a singular figure within the history of architecture, but rather to examine the tensions and exchanges between the artistic and the architectural fields in the late twenties - especially as the issue of travel is presented through these exchanges. This work considers not only documents produced and collected by Le Corbusier himself, but materials produced by other individuals of the artistic milieu as well, including a set of graphic and iconographic documents published at that time in Brazil and francophone Europe. Le Corbusier specialists such as Arthur Rüegg, Tim Benton and Margareth da Silva Pereira have been central to the development of this research, offering significant contributions to analysis of the material collected as well as calling attention to other sources and approaches that may be relevant.