Paulo Mendez da Rocha: Brazilian Dictatorship Damaged Architectural Education

Brazil's military dictatorship brusquely shattered architectural study in the country right after the 1964 military coup, says Brazilian's celebrated Architect Paulo Mendez da Rocha. The adverse effect of the event is still felt in the field of architecture in the country.

The living legend Rocha, in an exclusive interview with Dezeen,, "The military coup was a very right-wing dictatorship and it was a very violent one as well." He added, "I could say that it has destroyed education and universities in Brazil before they did anything. And up to today, we're still suffering from the consequences of those actions, and we're working very hard to catch up and recover what we had."

He further described that it was the "greatest evil" performed by Brazil's Military dictatorship where his São Paulo-based practice in 1955 was not allowed to continue along with other practitioners and educational institution. This was the regime's threat to education that the world has seen.

Until 1998, Rocha was able to continue his career in the academe as a professor at the Architecture College of University of São Paulo. He is also popular of his great works in the country including Gymnasium in the Paulistano Athletics Club in 1957, Serra Dourada Stadium in 1973, Brazilian Sculpture Museum in 1988, FIESP Cultural Center in 1997, Patriarch Plaza in 2002, and much more through his lifetime. One of his greatest work is National Coaches Museum located in Portugal.

In the course of time, he is also a multi-awardee in the field of architecture in the international level, published in ArchDaily. In 2000 he received Mies van der Rohe Prize, followed by the Pritzker Prize in 2006, and recently the Venice Biennale Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. Mendez finally also received the Royal Institute of British Architects 2017 Royal Gold Medal.

Architect Paulo Mendez da Rocha believes that continuity of architectural study is a significant discipline because it covers other human discipline known to men. Brazil's Military dictatorship may have done most of the damage in his field but it's not too late to fix it, he said.