a+t architecture publishers

A walk through Brasilia evokes the emotion of walking on over half a century of modern adventure. That walk colours in its black and white historical images and shows the materialized precepts of the Athens Charter.

The modern dream had at it's disposal the political impulse and means to put its criteria into practice. The victim of this result, a blend of architectural achievements and failures in urban planning, is Brasilia's public space.

Zoning segregated uses and generated a city of fragments connected by a motorway. Monumental fervour forgot that circulation among buildings would not be limited merely to vehicles, but also to pedestrians. Because of this, when one takes a walk around Brasilia, it feels like being inside a work by De Chirico or a photograph by Gabriele Basilico. Brasilia turned public space into a desert and petrified its users.

Photos taken by Javier Arpa, available under request