Building Brasília: A Modernist Utopia | HENI Talks

Video Description

Today, HENI Talks is presented by Professor Richard J. Williams. 1955. Brazil. A man – Juscelino Kubitschek – campaigning to be president made a promise to the people to construct an entirely new capital city from scratch, a pledge to create a modern heart for the burgeoning country. Kubitschek won; he was elected president and so commenced one of the most ambitious single building projects ever. The city of Brasília was fashioned in just 4 years. City planner Lùcio Costa’s graphic design for an ideal city was combined with architect Oscar Niemeyer’s artistic prowess and provocative use of concrete. Niemeyer was notorious for creating pure, sculptural and sometimes shocking buildings. But were these seemingly otherworldly structures practical? And what is their legacy today? Join Professor Richard J. Williams in this HENI Talk to uncover the story of this modernist 'utopia'. 🎥 Presented by HENI Talks — films that bring art, design, and architecture to life. 🔔 Subscribe for more films on art, architecture, and culture: youtube.com/@HENITalks/videos 👍 Like, comment, and share to support our work! 🌐 Learn more: Web — https://heni.com/ Instagram — https://instagram.com/heni TikTok — https://tiktok.com/@heni X — https://x.com/heni Produced by HENI Talks #Architecture #Brasilia #HENITalks