One of the most engaging ways to learn about cities is through movies and series. Below, Anthony Ling from the platform Caos Planejado shares six recommendations for online series to learn about Brazilian communities, Soviet cities, and other corners of the world.
As part of their partnership in art-education and cultural mediation exchanges, the Tomie Ohtake Institute and the Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo have launched the digital publication Our Home Is Where We Are. The project is supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Brasília.
Founded in Rio in 2004 and having held 77 editions across 14 state capitals, the city's most stylish and daring architecture, interior design, and design event returns in October 2020.
Mobility is a central issue in inquiries and research regarding cities and urbanization processes.
With this in mind, and in conjunction with the curriculum of the "Mobility and the Contemporary City" postgraduate program, the online debate series "Mobility in Times of Crisis: The Challenges and the New Future of Urban Mobility Amidst Political, Economic, Social, and Health Crises" will take place.
The appearance and long-term maintenance of a work of architecture or interior design are heavily dictated by its materiality and the products used. If the selection of materials and products is not precise, the project can be compromised both aesthetically and functionally.
This is why specification is essential to achieving the desired result, and the professionals responsible for this stage must have a broad knowledge of the materials and products available in their region. But is material specification done similarly across all architecture firms? Do the initial and final stages of the project receive the same attention? How close is the relationship between architects and materials, really?
In architecture, Corten steel, or weathering steel, is one of the materials in which the passage of time is most visible and distinct. The patina—the layer that forms on the steel through oxidation—acts as a protective barrier, slowing down corrosion and preserving the material's mechanical properties. Beyond its protective qualities, this layer offers a unique aesthetic appeal that makes Corten steel highly prized in architectural design, from small to large scale.
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In high school math, we learn that average speed is calculated as the ratio of distance traveled to time elapsed. For decades, the thinking behind transportation policies was anchored in this equation: it was believed that the goal was to increase system efficiency, which simply required reducing travel times by increasing average speed. Consequently, the distance variable was deemed less important, since building unimpeded transit systems—such as subway lines, BRT corridors, or expressways—could maintain or reduce travel times over increasingly longer distances.
.jpg?1593640151 "BRT corridor in Guangzhou, China. Public transit priority measures can increase accessibility in cities. Image © Thiago Benicchio")
.jpg?1593640230 "The city of Amsterdam (Netherlands) has a good population density, a robust public transit network, mixed land use, and a good distribution of opportunities. Image © Thiago Benicchio")
.jpg?1593640172 "São Paulo (Brazil), a sprawling city with long travel distances and low accessibility rates. Image © Thiago Benicchio")
.jpg?1593640210 "Bicycle boulevard in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Cities with high accessibility rates ensure proximity between origins and destinations, facilitating active transportation options like cycling and walking. Image © Thiago Benicchio")
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Born from a mechanical engineer's fascination with and interest in the work of Oscar Niemeyer, the Instagram profile Oscar Niemeyer Works has become a benchmark for the modernist architect's legacy, as well as a masterclass in communicating theoretical architectural content without being tedious. Rolando Figueiredo, now an architecture student, is the mind behind this achievement, successfully bridging two seemingly distant worlds: scientific research and entertainment. It is no coincidence that his account has amassed over 87,000 followers, including researchers, educational institutions, renowned offices, and architecture critics.
Paulo Mendes da Rocha is interviewed by Paulo Markun in another episode of the series “Conversas na Crise – Depois do Futuro” [Conversations in Crisis – After the Future], organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IdEA) at Unicamp in partnership with the UOL news portal. The interview addresses topics such as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cities, the public health crisis, and the precariousness of urban housing in Brazil.
A carbon footprint can be defined as the quantification, typically in kilograms (kg) or metric tons (t), of the emissions (and removals) of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) throughout the life cycle of a product, process, or service. There are several GHGs, the most significant of which in terms of global warming and climate change contribution are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
In 1972, the American art historian George Kubler proposed the term “plain architecture” to define Portuguese architecture from the mid-16th century to the early 18th century. While in its original spelling, the translation of the term understood the Portuguese style as simple, the use of the adjective actually designates an uncomplicated geometry, referencing the abandonment of Manueline ornament in the construction of churches and convents. In the Portuguese translation, however, the term “arquitetura chã” (literally “flat” or “ground” architecture) recognized the tectonic vocation of Portuguese architecture within its very vocabulary. By shifting the reference from geometry to the soil, it yielded a clear, monosyllabic characterization of the constant relationship between the built (architecture) and the existing (ground, soil, or territory). Beyond the rigor of Portuguese formal design, the term also describes an architecture anchored to the ground in a metaphorical sense—an architecture always aligned with the understanding of the territory in which it is situated.
For the first time, Escola da Cidade is broadcasting the architecture school's inaugural lecture, delivered by Oscar Niemeyer in 2002. In a lucid and conscious address to young students, Niemeyer emphasizes the social function of architecture and presents, through sketches and images, some of his key works, including the Pampulha architectural complex and Brasília.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil, there has been much debate regarding its impacts on different territories and social groups. This is crucial for both identifying the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease and protecting those who are most vulnerable. However, the way information and data have been released does not help analyze the territorial impacts and spatial spread of the pandemic, which also hinders efforts to address it.
In the city of São Paulo, the scale of analysis for the pandemic is still the district level, which corresponds to massive portions of the territory with populations larger than many medium-sized cities. This oversimplified view ignores the territorial heterogeneities and inequalities within the city. As we have previously pointed out, the territorial dimension is unfortunately not being properly considered, giving rise to a simplified and even stigmatized reading, such as the claim that “where there are favelas, there is a pandemic.”
