Oswaldo Arthur Bratke, Morumbi, Sao Paulo, Brasil, 1951
OfHouses guest curated by CI-AA : “Despite his important contribution to the architectural
discipline, Oswaldo Bratke is a forgotten master of Brazilian
modernism. Author of more than 400 houses, Bratke had the
immense skill of synthesizing the demands of his clients into a beautiful, simple and efficient design free of leftovers or eccentricities, as demonstrated in this house he designed for his
family. Bratke sought other references such as Marcel Breuer
as an alternative to the Corbusian influenced architecture produced mainly by Oscar Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro at the
time. Looking at the Morumbi House, we can identify salient features of Bratke’s approach, such as the horizontality, the binuclear plan and his preference for tectonic construction processes.
These aspects influenced a legion of professionals who worked
in his office, including the young Vilanova Artigas.” (Photos: © F. Albuquerque, E. Mandowsky. Source: L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui 49 (1953) ; (Das) Werk
40 (1953), pp 254-5.)
