The aesthetics of cities: Lucio Costa, sketches of life and national heritage

ABSTRACT

The article reconstructs part of Lucio Costa's trajectory, especially in the early decades of his career, to approach the aesthetic perspective of the urban phenomenon in Brazil. The analysis focuses on his articulation with collective projects in a “field of possibilities” of architecture and national heritage, paying attention to the relationships he maintained with his peers. The biography of a central character of national urbanism allows us to scrutinize the meaning of the modern consecration of architecture as fine arts. Moreover, it reveals the effects of the arrangements between avant-garde and deviation, tradition and modernity in the heritage policies of the Brazilian State.

KEYWORDS:
Architecture; Fine Arts; Brazilian Urbanism; National Heritage; Urban Monument