at a glance

Carlos Nelson began his course in architecture in 1962 (and finished in 1966), only years after Brasilia was inaugurated as capital. at this time the synthesis and climax of rationalist and functionalist thought in the country, aimed at the 'progress' and 'modernisation' of cities.

The architect-type in this period was 'a liberal, individualistic and omnipotent professional in his institutions', after all, 'we did something so good we were summoned, by the person most prominent amongst us, to design a city space which would embody what Brazil wanted and could be'.

The young, recently graduated Brazilian urban architects aspired towards genius, which generated an array of expectations and frustrations, because 'we were the consolidators of utopias, which were unable to meet the basic practices of the field of action they were supposed to excite and guide'.