Para sempre moderno

Forever modern The silky-smooth voice of Professor Coutinho, pioneer of the University of Brasília School of Architecture, cannot mask the heroic tone, akin to that of an epic poem, with which he narrates the construction of the Institute of Arts (ICA) buildings on the University of Brasília campus in the 19- minute documentary filmed in 1962 by Heinz Forthmann, a photographer and film director who accompanied anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro on his expeditions around Brazil, and finally edited in 1970. The matte color images are spectacular, and together with the rhythmic narration by professor Coutinho, they unravel the circumstances and portray the enthusiasm and the inventiveness of those involved in the construction of Brasília. There was a sense of urgency about everything and pre-fabrication was the most suitable option because of the cracking pace of construction required by this city that was positively bursting to be completed. Architect João da Gama Filguieras Lima was engaged in this task and, as a bricoleur, he created solutions and adapted modern machinery that, when used in conjunction with tools as archaic as hoes, enabled the buildings of the ICA to be erected at incredible speed. Lelé, J. F. Lima’s nickname, which he was baptized with during impromptu soccer matches on the building site, began his career in Brasília. His participation in the construction of the federal capital’s university was not limited to executing Niemeyer’s project for the ICA and ICC; it extended beyond the campus and included the development and execution of projects for the teaching staff’s residences, the first buildings on “Colina” and the warehouses for general services, still in operation today. Conceived for pre-fabricated construction, the elements of these buildings were built on the ground and then assembled with the use of hoisting equipment. The parts were heavy and the closed system consisted mainly of reinforced concrete. These achievements represented the first of many examples of experimentation during Lelé’s long career, and they included the Taguatinga District Hospital, the Disbrave automobile dealership and the wonderful Camargo Corrêa buildings, built in the ComercialSul sector. These experiments culminated in the construction of the Salvador Administrative Center, especially the buildings conceived to house the government departments. As part of his attempts to adapt constructive methods to local circumstances, Lelé, in conjunction with F. Schiel, redirected his research towards exploring the potential of reinforced mortar, thus heralding a new professional phase, which can be seen in the curious “Transitory Schools” proposed for Abadiânia. These were buildings made of wood and they were to be constructed in such a manner that they could be assembled and disassembled to accompany the movement of rural laborers, according to crop rotation cycles, with the aim of reducing school truancy rates among this segment of the population. These buildings consisted of light-weight elements and they did not require any special equipment for their assembly, depending only on a few able-bodied individuals. This paved the way to further exploration, culminating in the last hospital of the Sarah Kubitscheknetwork, constructed in Rio de Janeiro. Filguieras’ trajectory is long and courageous, and to analyze it in its entirety would require more space than that available for this paper. This paper presents a cross-section that takes into account Lelé’s pioneering work in Brasília, in other words his experimentation with pre-fabrication between 1960 and 1970. The objective here is to present this work in context, and to explore potential routes for future research.