Architectural styles in the city of Curitiba

Welcome again, readers! The modernist architecture of Curitiba is the issue at hand today. Similarly to the other styles spread throughout the city, modernism was adopted by its buildings as a way to place themselves in the present and to envision a bright future. The rise of engineering and construction technology, added to the abandonment of classical motifs by architects, has brought a worldwide revolution, that would naturally apply to Curitiba. For that reason, many iconic landmarks built from the early 1950s until current days have embodied the modern methods. Thereby, feel free to learn more about examples of this piece of history now.  Oscar Niemeyer Museum, or Eye Museum Officially known as the Oscar Niemeyer Museum , or popularly as the Eye Museum , the public interest building is located in Curitiba and was designed by the architect of same name. Reflecting the freedom of forms and the unconfined use of colors, the museum is as contemporaneous as the pieces of art it pre...

Welcome, readers! The spread of the eclectic style around the world reflected the emergence of an urban, capitalist and technological elite, which had longed wished for a new and characteristic style of high architecture. It had to be adapted for the mass use of the rising population of the cities, while also being a symbol of wealth and luxury. The blend of different designs, such as art decò , art noveau , neoclassical and neobaroque represented a new evolution on the history of architecture, which, for the first time, made equal use of technology and art. While this phenomenon developed in Europe and the rest of Brazil, an economic upper class started to gain proeminence in Curitiba, specially after the popularization of an herb called "mate". Therefore, inspired by the most recent constructions in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the eclectic style started to be explored in the city.  Palace of Liberty The luxurious and richly ornate Palace of Liberty  was constructed to fu...

Hello, readers! Today, we will present two revival architectural styles present in Curitiba: neogothic and neoclassical. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many architects started looking to the past for a source of inspiration, resulting in the revival of antique styles. While this trend was being slowly adapted to the Americas, Curitiba started receiving a massive influx of population, which increased the demand for public use constructions, such as universities, hospitals and churches. The neogothic style, in this context, was widespread in the design of churches, which would later meet the needs of many religious communities, such as the Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox affiliations. Cathedral of Curitiba In this cathedral, we can observe essential elements of the neogothic style, such as its uncommon height, the twin pointed arches and the presence of stained glass in its interior.  However, contemporary characteristics, such as the structural design, the type of painting and the ...

Hello, readers of the blog. Today, we will initiate a series of architectural analysis regarding the landscape of Curitiba. And it does make sense to begin with the first architectural style established by Curitiba's founders: the colonial style.  The city was founded in 1693 by Portuguese explorers, but was previosuly inhabited by Indian tribes. When the ownership of the land shifted to the European, many buildings were erected to fulfill many government functions, such as the governor's residence and office, the register place and the military headquarters. However, the main building of every Brazilian town was the local church, from which the entire population would develop their activities. This was no different in Curitiba, that has preserved few but important exemplars of the architecture developed in the colony. In historical terms, this period goes from 1693, the city's year of foundation, to 1822, the year when Brazil was declared independent.  Ruins of St. Francis...

This is the blog "Architectural styles in the city of Curitiba", that, as the name explains, has the purpose of presenting analysis and examples of a series of architectural methods and designs in the city of Curitiba, Paraná state, Brazil.  Curitiba is the capital city of the Paraná province, and is set apart from most of Brazil cities as a result of its cold temperatures, predominantly European cultural formation and overall modernist influence. The population of  1 963 726 inhabitants is a major source of diversity of ideas, and the economic development experienced by the metropolis fueled the investment in technology and innovation.  The national architectural trends, however, have always been balancing the specificities exclusive to Curitiba, resulting in an interesting synthesis between local and national. And that's where we are now. It is a look into the past and a nod to the future, through the lenses of the present.  Welcome to the blog! Feel free to commen...