The purpose of this paper is to analyze the National Memorial to the World War II Dead (1956-60), a monument designed by Marcos Konder Netto and Hélio Ribas Marinho, and located in Flamengo Park, Rio de Janeiro. We start by commenting on the debates that were going on within the Modernist movement about the need for a new monumentality. Then, we examine the memorial against the urban landscape of Rio de Janeiro and its specific architectural language. Finally, we make an effort to explain the apparent paradox found in modern monuments.
Modern Architecture; Monuments; Second World War National Memorial; Marcos Konder Netto; Hélio Ribas Marinho; Rio de Janeiro