Reflections on Architecture: Paulo Mendes da Rocha in 5 Conversations

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In the early hours of May 23, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, the Capixaba architect who earned the highest honors in world architecture, passed away. Defined by a sharp, critical mind, his entire career was a profound ode to the city and a humanist perspective. Fortunately, several of his inspiring talks were recorded, and here we have selected five videos made over the last decade that offer insight into how he reflected on the field of architecture and urbanism, as well as his own work.

Paulo Mendes da Rocha on Roda Viva (2013)

(...) not nature seen as a landscape, but as a set of phenomena: fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, structural stability—that is what is actually the horizon of architecture.

"The Pritzker Prize winner discusses housing issues, traffic, pollution, and the lack of quality public transportation, among other topics."

Paulo Mendes da Rocha: Essays (2015)

A fundamental human question and a very valuable one for architecture lies in exhibiting the success of technique.

"The postgraduate program Geography, City and Architecture hosted architect Paulo Mendes and students from the University of La Plata for a conversation about essays in architecture."

PMR 29’: Twenty-Nine Minutes with Paulo Mendes da Rocha (2017)

Not being strictly technicist, ensuring that what appears is not simply a cold, mechanical solution to problems, is precisely what gives dimension to what we call architecture. Putting questions forward as a reflection that never ceases.

"The film is guided by a conversation with Paulo Mendes da Rocha, recorded at his office in May 2010. While presenting some of his main works, the architect offers reflections on understanding architecture in its human and essentially cultural dimension."

Paulo Mendes da Rocha in an Interview with Ana Sousa Dias (2018)

You are never making a house, you are always making the city.

"Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Diário de Notícias journalist Ana Sousa Dias met for an interview on the occasion of the opening of the exhibitions “Infinito Vão” and “Duas Casas de Paulo Mendes da Rocha” in September 2018 at Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Center for Architecture."

Paulo Mendes da Rocha Discusses the Future of Metropolises (2020)

Making the city so that it is a business is a total disaster.

"On July 1st, architect and urbanist Paulo Mendes da Rocha participates in the series “Conversas na Crise – Depois do Futuro” (Conversations in the Crisis – After the Future), organized by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IdEA) at Unicamp in partnership with the UOL portal. Moderated by journalist Paulo Markun, the conversation addresses, among other topics, the impact of the pandemic on Brazilian cities, precarious urban housing as a factor in the spread of the novel coronavirus, and how the health crisis will affect the future of metropolises."