Eduardo Souto Moura e Paulo Mendes da Rocha - O Projecto Moderno Hoje.

Abstract

This study tries to understand how the architects Eduardo Souto de Moura and Paulo Mendes da Rocha, perceived in this work as representatives of the Portuguese and Brazilian architecture, answer to the moment of criticism of the Modern Movement, in comparison with the international scene. To appreciate the relevance of the two paths it is important to highlight the features that define them, in order to understand the reason why this movement is considered as a valid option for nowadays. Therefore, a presentation of the themes that dominate and influence their design decisions, and consequently their projects, is followed by a retrospective of the Modern Movement in each country and by an attempt to compare them. It is fundamental to consider the antecessors of Souto de Moura and Mendes da Rocha, in order to achieve an improved perception of the modern reality in the two countries. These include Ruy Athouguia, Fernando Távora, Lucio Costa, Óscar Niemeyer and Vilanova Artigas. The choice of these architects is justified by the nature of their set of principles, which will influence the development of the modern architecture in these particular contexts. A reflection on the paths paved by Eduardo Souto de Moura and Paulo Mendes da Rocha is performed under these lines, where their individual experience, influences from previous (Portuguese and Brazilian) architects, and contributions from the masters of the Modern Movement, namely Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, are implicit. It will be shown in this dissertation that these directions can be useful as a model for other architects that aim to reestablish an architectonic thinking suitable to the problems that affect contemporary society.