Ruth Verde Zein, Brazilian theoretician of architecture, will deliver a lecture titled Contemporary Architecture of Latin America: Common Sense and Idealism on Monday, 23 October at 7 pm at the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb. The lecture is organized by Oris House of Architecture. 

 

Latin American cities are relatively new constructs of varied dimensions, huge contrasts, stark juxtapositions of scales and styles, formal and economical incongruities, informalities and discontinuities, with vast environmental and social problems on the one hand, and strong speculative and financial powers dominating the floor on the other hand. This complex mixture results in an apparently unbalanced ensemble of very difficult rational apprehension, and even more difficult and concerted solution. It that is so, would there be any room for finding good meaningful contemporary 21st century buildings to be considered under the lead of architecture that helps make city and public spaces? Despite the sheer diversity of situations and modalities that may be included in this apparently simple idea, that was the mission of the Rogelio Salmona Latin American Architecture Award: open spaces / collective spaces. Having participated in the 2014 and 2016 Award selection process sorting out meaningful examples, as member of the international committee and juror, the lecturer will try to explain how modest buildings may be considered as able to represent the best architecture of region, and how they may have a say in the process trying to change our Latin American cities for the better. 

 

Ruth Verde Zein

 

Architect, PhD Professor of Theory and Design at Mackenzie University, São Paulo, Brazil. Member of CICA - International Committee of Architectural Critics. Member of DOCOMOMO International, coordinates Docomomo Brazil/São Paulo’s chapter. Former editor of Projeto magazine. Has participated in several seminars and given conferences and courses in Brazil and abroad. Has more than a hundred articles published and a dozen books on Brazilian and Latin American modern and contemporary architecture.