First Day in Sao Paulo

Somehow i did not expect Sao Paulo to be Latin New York. Jardins, a very cosmopolitan and sophisticated neighbourhood (where we were staying ) was close to MASP, a museum designed by Lina Bo Bardi. Some of us rushed to see it in a somewhat jet lagged state. We knew she was a great collector of crafts ( from our briefing notes!) and the only woman architect working in the  fifities and sixities. She was educated in Rome and edited Domus Magazine there until 1947 when she arrived in Brazil. The great structure on red stilts on Avenue Paulista  ( which is often compared to Fifth Avenue in New York) is a great example of her austere work which is greatly influenced by Mies van der Rohe. We did see her house later too. The visit to her house will always remain a memorable experience. What an eclectic mix of objects! Old and new. European  paintings and indigenous crafts from the  North East like the huge Papier Mache Bull. Religious sculptures carved in wood  looked  great next to modernist lighting and furniture. By the way these should be  snapped up by Vitra or someone like them to produce under licence these wonderful pieces and provide the Bo Bardi foundation with much needed income for the maintenance of the house. More to come.

MAS Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Lina Bo Bardi, Sao Paulo (image by Yvonna Demczynska)