Modern Architecture in the Tropics : Examples in Pernambuco

Author(s)

Daniele Abreu e Lima

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU/SBI)
• Defense date: 2002-09-13

Examining board members

Lucio Gomes Machado; José Eduardo de Assis Lefevre; Guilherme Silva da Cunha Lima

• Advisor: Lucio Gomes Machado

Abstract

The participation of the Pernambuco state in the development of the Brazilian\'s modem architecture begins from the first stages of the modernism in our country. ln the city of Recife, the debate relate to the new architecture falis on a basic theme: the tropical climate. The identity of architecture shouldn\'t have only national features but most of ali, a regional one. The climate was the principal excuse to support the creation of a new architecture that not only be able to respond to the necessities of a new era, a new time, but also bring climate comfort, which is essential for life in the tropics. After the work of Luiz Nunes, 1934 to 1937, the city of Recife went through a period where only a few modem buildings were constructed. But from 1950 this ali changed. ln the foliowing years there was a clear option for the modem language in architecture. The dominating characteristic of modem architecture in the state of Pernambuco was the experirryentation to create formal elements for climate adaptation. Although with distinct formal manifestations, the proximity of the projects methods and the ideology of the architects at work in Pernambuco at that time, indicate similar references. But to which point do these created elements really worked? Were the architects interested in the creation of a tropical modernism? To answer those questions we had to collect data formation on 140 buildings, which were constructed between the 501 \" , 60th and 701 \" in the city of Recife. From this total we selected 67 buildings and analised their formal, thermals and lighting aspects. The object here is not only to present a modem architecture data from the state of Pernambuco, but also to estimate if the buildings constructed reflect the views so clearly express in the modem tropical speech. (AU)