Anyone who lived in the city of Rio de Janeiro between 1946 and 1952 saw the birth of one of the most emblematic projects of Brazilian modern architecture: the Conjunto Residencial Prefeito Mendes de Moraes, now known as Pedregulho. The project came about in response to the city's growing housing problems, where favelas and precarious dwellings were expanding exponentially.
Designed by the architect Affonso Reidy to house the civil servants of the Federal District (Rio de Janeiro), it is a masterpiece of modern architecture. The principles championed by Le Corbusier and the plasticity of Oscar Niemeyer are present in the project. From the Corbusian program, the influence appears in the solutions applied to construction technology, and in the decisions concerning lighting, ventilation, and ease of circulation. From the influence of Oscar Niemeyer, plastic solutions emerge, such as curved lines and undulating designs.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white drawing of a residential complex. Starting from the left and moving to the right, we see a curved structure that appears to be a tunnel or underground passageway. In the center, there is a main building with several windows and entrances. To the right of this building, there is an open area that could be a park or green space. In the background, there are smaller structures, possibly garages or other outbuildings. The spatial layout suggests a functional organization, with well-defined public and private areas.Pedregulho Residential Complex, 1948. Final general plan of the complex designed by Affonso Eduardo Reidy. Collection of Brazilian architects. SP, Instituto Bardi/Blau, 2000, p.85. Vitruvius website
Established as a neighborhood unit, the complex was designed to house hundreds of families and offer a variety of services: residences, a school, a health center, a laundry, a market, among others.
There are 328 units, with one and two bedrooms, built atop a hill, all facing Guanabara Bay, raised on pilotis. The highlight of the construction lies in the building's serpentine layout, which follows the contours of the land.
Image description: The image is a photograph of a residential complex. The spatial arrangement begins on the left, where we see a series of rectangular buildings placed side by side. In the center, there is a taller building with a curved structure that stands out. On the right, there is a large curved building that extends to the background of the image. The complex is surrounded by trees and vegetation, and there is a pathway running through the central part of the complex. The image is in black and white.Model of the project - Research and documentation center UFRJ. Site Arqguia.
The international celebration of Brazilian architecture and the important role that Pedregulho took on as a cultural asset legitimized by generations of scholars did not lessen the tensions and difficulties within the City Hall regarding its completion. The major impasse was its high cost and the impossibility of solving the housing shortage problem with housing complexes at Pedregulho's level of sophistication.
Inaugurated in 1950, it suffered major deterioration in the following decades, until the restoration process began in 2000. The restoration was only completed a decade later.
Image description: The image is a photograph of a residential complex located in a neighborhood called Pedregulho, in Paulo. The building has a rounded shape and is built on a green hill. At the bottom of the image, we see a metal fence and a curved concrete structure. In the background, the building has several windows and balconies with objects hanging from them. On the left, there is a large, dense tree. The sky is clear blue, with no clouds.Complex before restoration. Site OR Realizações.
