Episode 38: Lina Bo Bardi 1951-1992
In 1951 Lina finished construction on her Glass House and became a Brazilian Citizen. She taught architecture theory at the University of Sao Paulo from 1955 to 1957. Then like professors do she applied for tenure. To do this she submitted an essay that was later turned into her theory book, which was called Propeadeutic Contribution to the Teaching of Architecture Theory. Unfortunately, she didn't get tenure so she left. Their loss. In 1958 she was invited to found and direct the Modern Art Museum in Salvador de Bahia. While in Salvador de Bahia she started a weekly page in the newspaper Diario Noticias in Salvador where she highlighted local art and artists. Fast forward to 1968, and like 20 years since I started talking about it, The Sao Paulo Museum of Art or MASP finally finished construction!! YEAY! For the next ten years after MASP was completed Lina worked on a lot of set designs for theater and films one of her most famous works in this realm was the Teatro Oficina, where she rethought the theater concept. From the late 1970s early 1990s, she was back at it doing a lot of everything. She worked on exhibitions, international competitions, designed churches, another museum, a city hall, traveled to Morocco and Japan, she kept it busy. In 1991 she received the Latin-American Prize in the 4th Buenos Aires Architecture Biennial and a year later on March 20, 1992, Lina passed away from a lung embolism. She was 77 years old.
Caryatid: Dr. Harriet Harris
Dr. Harriet Harris is the Dean of the School of Architecture at the Pratt Institute and advocates for equality in architecture. Harriet is from the UK. In 2001 she graduated first of her class in Architecture school. While in architecture school Harriet was also a hustler, she did all sorts of jobs, she volunteered, she was the editor of her college magazine, and she won competitions. She started the firm Design Heroine Architecture with her buddy Suzi Winstanley where they focus on democratizing architecture. In the words of Harriet “we need an architecture for the 99%. Architecture today needs to see itself as responsible for and relevant to addressing the world’s problems - climate crisis, social justice, inclusivity, and diversity, and so on. All of these problems are inherently at the heart of what architecture should be focusing on, and that’s how we’re reconvening the school’s agenda.”
Link for “Light Theory Readings”
References
“ARQ Y FILOSOFIA #15 - LINA BO BARDI.” YouTube, uploaded by Viviano Villarreal-Bueron, 12 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxD5zyXRDTg&t=4746s.
Braschi, Cecilia. “Lina Bo Bardi and the Magazine Habitat.” AWARE Women Artists / Femmes Artistes, 25 Oct. 2016, awarewomenartists.com/en/magazine/lina-bo-bardi-and-the-magazine-habitat.
Camacho, Sol. “Retrospective: Lina Bo Bardi.” Architectural Review, 18 Feb. 2021, www.architectural-review.com/essays/retrospective/retrospective-lina-bo-bardi.
Gamolina, Julia. “Architecture for the 99%: Dr. Harriet Harriss on Democratizing the Deanship, Inclusive Design Methodologies, and How the Younger Generation Can Lead.” Madame Architect, 26 Aug. 2021, www.madamearchitect.org/interviews/2020/3/20/harriet-harriss.
Oliveira, Olivia de. “Interview with Lina Bo Bardi.” Nexus 2G Lina Bo Bardi Built Work, no. 23.24, 2002, pp. 230–255.
Pratt Institute. “Harriet Harriss | Pratt Institute.” Pratt, www.pratt.edu/faculty_and_staff/bio?id=a29YdFFPQ05PcVVFaVRtcDJYN0JCUT09. Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.
Wikipedia contributors. “Lina Bo Bardi.” Wikipedia, 8 Sept. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Bo_Bardi.
Images
Arquitectura Viva, 19 October 2021, https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/casa-valeria-p-cirell-0
Bruna, I Heart Brazil, 28 May 2021, https://www.iheartbrazil.com/sao-paulo-museum-of-art-masp/
Valletta, Matthew. ArcDaily, 29 December 2015, https://www.archdaily.com/778964/concrete-and-glass-linas-easels-and-a-new-old-way-of-displaying-art
