Organised into six sections — ‘Family’, ‘Writings’, ‘Portugal’, ‘Pilot Plan’, ‘Brasília’ and ‘Drawings’ — the exhibition traces a journey richly illustrated by the architect’s private life, whilst also offering new insights into his public and professional life. Among the highlights are the trips he made to Portugal between the 1940s and 1960s, partially documented in the well-known “Portugal Notebooks”.

At the heart of the exhibition are the original plans for the Pilot Plan of Brasília, rarely shown in Europe. Building on this core, Lucio Costa Arquivo proposes, according to the curator, a “confrontation with the contemporary”, inviting a reassessment of the architect’s legacy in light of current questions regarding his motivations, influences and the transformative impulse that marked the creation of Brazil’s new capital and modern architecture.

The ‘Lucio Costa Archive’ exhibition opened on 18 April at Casa da Arquitetura, with a programme that included two days of free activities and was accompanied by the launch of two publications: a volume of the same name, which offers an in-depth exploration of the collection through essays by Portuguese and Brazilian authors, and *Raízes do futuro: Lucio Costa e a tradição moderna* (Roots of the Future: Lucio Costa and the Modern Tradition) by Guilherme Wisnik, a revised and expanded edition of the work originally published in 2001.

 ‘Lucio Costa Archive’ forms part of the celebrations marking two hundred years of diplomatic relations between Portugal and Brazil.


The exhibition will be accompanied by a supporting programme throughout the exhibition period.

SATURDAY, 16 MAY

4.30 pm
Discussion: Brasília Revisited by the Lucio Costa Archive with Ana Vaz Milheiro, Fernando Lara, Maria Manuel Oliveira, Matheus Seco and Tales Ab’Saber

6.30 pm
Concert: Terra de Ninguém by Samba Sem Fronteiras



SUNDAY, 17 MAY

11.00 am
Guided tour of the exhibition Lucio Costa Archive led by curator Ana Vaz Milheiro and Leonor Matos Silva

4.30 pm
Screening of the film Once Upon a Time in Brasília by Adirley Queirós (2017), with an introduction by Ana Vaz Milheiro and Tales Ab’Saber



SATURDAY, 13 JUNE
Lucio Costa Seminar: contemporary perspectives on a modern legacy

10.00 am
Panel discussion: “From the utopia of Brasília to the city of today: new paradigms”

11.30 am
Panel discussion: “A city for people or people for a city: building homes for whom?”

3.00 pm
Panel discussion: “Heritage: preserve or transform”

4.30 pm
Panel discussion: “Culture as an expression of the country” – a partnership between Casa da Arquitetura, the Camões Institute and the Guimarães Rosa Institute



SUNDAY, 14 JUNE

11.00 am
Guided tour of the Lucio Costa Archive exhibition by curator Ana Vaz Milheiro