maracanÃ stadium - sociocultural monumentality

MARACANÃSTADIUM

SOCIOCULTURAL MONUMENTALITY

Fernando Marsan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 03

Preface

Page 04

Outline

Page 07

Maracanã Stadium: Sociocultural Monumentality

Introduction

Page 08

Latin America, Brazil and Nationalities

Page 10

Urban Planning and Architecture in Brazil

Page 11

The Monumental Role of the Maracanã Stadium

Page 13

Image Citations

Page 15

Annotated Bibliography

Fernando Marsan : Maracanã Stadium: Sociocultural Monumentality: page 03

PREFACE

After its completion in 1950 for the fourth FIFA

World Cup, the Maracanã Stadium became one

of the most significant urban artifacts in Rio de

Janeiro. Such was the case that it became a propelling

monument that served to drive the sociocultural

situation in Brazil. Its monumentality bridged a

connection between the past, the present and the

future of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

“Monuments are human landmarks which men have created as symbols for their ideals, for their aims and

for their actions. They are intended to outlive the period which originated them, and constitute a heritage

for future generations. As such, they form a link between the past and the future.”

Point One - Nine Points on Monumentality : SERT Arquitecto en Nueva York : Josep Lluís Sert


OUTLINE

II. Body

A. Synopsis

Architecture and urban planning have grown immensely and are now working more closely

through time. Their relationship has become one of symbiosis, where ones improvement

correlates directly to the advancement of the other. The alliance formed between these two

fields of study has led to the creation of built elements, known as urban artifacts, which have

a substantial role in a city’s development and dynamics. In some cases these artifacts are more

easily recognizable than in others considering that some cities have a stronger cultural, political

and religious identity than others. Brazil is a perfect example of a place where these qualities

are very rich and where certain architectural elements are literal expressions of their ideals,

objectives and actions.

B. Thesis Statement

After its completion in 1950 for the fourth FIFA World Cup, the Maracanã Stadium became

one of the most significant urban artifacts in Rio de Janeiro. Such was the case that it became a

propelling monument that served to drive the sociocultural situation in Brazil. Its monumentality

bridged a connection between the past, the present and the future of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

A. Historical Context

Prior to any exploration one must understand the context of the task at hand. The first section

of the research will address this concept in order to establish a baseline from which to move

forward. The investigation will begin with a study into Latin American architecture and the idea

i. Latin American Architecture and the implications of Nationality

ii. Brazil, a country with many countries.

iii. Joga Bonito Brazil

I. Introduction


III. Conclusion

The second part of the research will deal with the relationship that exists between Architecture

and Urban Planning. This discussion will present examples of projects where these two fields

of study have worked together to create viable solutions to problems that exist in complex

urban conditions, one of which is the Cidade dos Motores in Brazil. In order to completely

comprehend the complexity of these urban conditions one must comprehend the role of politics

and economics in the relationship between Architecture and Urban Planning in Brazil. This

influence leads directly to the impact that any decision might have on the sociocultural situation

of Brazil and consequentially the resistance that might arise from the people.

C. The Maracanã Stadium and its role as a monument

After analyzing the historical context and comprehending the impact that Urban Planning and

Architecture can have on a city, the research will shift its attention to the Maracanã Stadium.

Initially, it will present its technical specifications and most of all, the historical relevance of

the stadium in Rio de Janeiro. From this, the First Point of Monumentality by Josep Lluís Sert

will be introduced and how the Maracanã Stadium has become a monument in a Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil and Latin America. Finally, the investigation will present the Maracanã as this propelling

urban artifact that serves as a bridge from the past to the present and furthermore a passage to

the future.

A. Thesis Statement

i. The Maracanã Stadium and its history

ii. First point of Monumentality and the Maracanã

iii. The Maracanã, a bridge from the past to the future

After its completion in 1950 for the fourth FIFA World Cup, the Maracanã Stadium became

one of the most significant urban artifacts in Rio de Janeiro. Such was the case that it became a

propelling monument that served to drive the sociocultural situation in Brazil. Its monumentality

B. The sociocultural impact of Urban Planning and Architecture

that Nationalities are not determinant in the design process or intent. With this in mind, Brazil

will become the focal point and its multiple, distinct areas will come to light in an attempt to

describe what are the architectural implications of a country that can house such great variety

of cultures. This will serve as a transition to an exploration of how football can be the uniting

factor for a country like Brazil.

i. Urban Planning, Architecture and the creation of the urban artifact

ii. Politics and Economics in Brazil

iii. Sociocultural situation of Brazil


B. Critical Analysis and Closing Statement

Considering the context in which it lies, the political and economical conditions that a country

like Brazil has and the sociocultural influence of this country it is clear that this stadium is a

propelling urban artifact. The urban implications behind the Maracanã Stadium allow for it to

serve the First Point on Monumentality by Josep Luis Sert which states that “monuments are

human landmarks which men have created as symbols for their ideals, for their aims and for their

actions. They are intended to outlive the period which originated them, and constitute a heritage

for future generations. As such, they form a link between the past and the future.” The Maracanã

Stadium does this precisely, it is not only a stadium but also an icon of the Brazilian culture, a

symbol of unity in despair and a vessel for the history of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

bridged a connection between the past, the present and the future of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.


INTRODUCTION

Architecture and urban planning have grown immensely and are now working more closely through time.

Their relationship has become one of symbiosis, where ones improvement correlates directly to the

advancement of the other. The alliance formed between these two fields of study has led to the creation

of built elements, known as urban artifacts, which have a substantial role in a city’s development and

dynamics. In some cases these artifacts are more easily recognizable considering that some cities have a

stronger cultural, political and religious identity than other cities. The city in this context is referred to as a

singular multi-faceted entity which can be shaped by its respective propelling elements.

When discussing urbanism and its various components, a clear distinction must be made between urban

artifacts, primary elements and monuments. An urban artifact is, once again, a built object that serves an

important role within the mesh of the city, one that contributes to the individual needs of the society,

the place and the memory of the city. An urban artifact’s role is not only to create a permanence within

the city but also to serve the functions that the city requires from the structure. Primary elements also

play a predominant role in the locus of a city. This second group consists of all the built artifacts of a city

that have three essential qualities: circulation, fixed activity and housing. A primary element must contain

these three categories in order to accelerate the process of urbanization and spatial transformation. The

third category within the genome of a city are the monuments. The common conception of monuments

is that they are grand architectural gestures that were created to serve as a symbolic representation of

Figure 17Maracanã Stadium Lights from Field View

1. Rossi, Aldo. Architecture of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1984.

MARACANÃ STADIUM: SOCIOCULTURAL MONUMENTALITY

Figure 02


a memorable event, person or set of ideals. This is true in the colloquial sense of the word, but in

architecture a monument is much more than this. A monument in architecture is an urban artifact that must

be or become a propelling object in a political, economical and sociocultural sense. Alongside with this

idea, a monument must comply with the theory of permanences which states that the building typology

must persist through time.1 It is important to recognize that an urban artifact can be a primary element

if it contains all three specific qualities - circulation, fixed activity and housing - and that a monument is

always a primary element, but a primary element isn’t always a monument. In order for a primary element

to be a monument, it must be immutable to time and a recurring built typology.

LATIN AMERICA, BRAZIL AND NATIONALITIES

America can be considered one of the most diverse continents in the world especially when you begin

to dive into the Latin American society. Although parallels may be drawn between their history and their

current conditions, each one of the twenty countries that conform Latin America have created their

own character and interpretation of their past. The idea of nationality in these countries is of utmost

importance to the people, it serves as way to unify what might otherwise seem as compilation of smaller

worlds within one space. The more relevant concept is that in architecture, the role of nationality is

seen diminished considerably. This is due to the fact that architecture has developed a universal language

derived from the similarities in regards to the problems that these countries have faced and are currently

2. Bullrich, Francisco. New Directions in Latin American Architecture. New York, NY: George Braziller.1969


confronting.2 With this in mind the focus will now turn to Brazil, a country that due to its size, sociocultural

variety, and urban diversity, serves best to frame the exploration.

Brazil is the biggest country in Latin America with an approximate land area of 8.5 million squared

kilometers and a population of over 200 million people. Once could then make the statement that Brazil

is a country composed of many smaller countries, in the sense that its composition allows for a wide array

of subcultures to exist making it an extremely rich architectural and urban precedent. Brazil’s current

capital is Brasilia which is located in the Central-West side of the country. Since its establishment in the

1960s Brasilia has become a hub for architectural exploration with architects like Oscar Niemeyer and

more recently Paulo Mendes da Rocha. The city’s plan and design was made primarily by Niemeyer with

the premise in mind that the city should be composed of a modernist grid that allowed for a consistent

and organized arrangement. The arrangement was orchestrated through a series blocks which Niemeyer

called superquadras. Each superquadra would fit directly into the spaces created by the grid and they would

contain many of the essential elements required for the inhabitants to subsist3.

Prior to the 1960’s Brazil’s capital was located in the Southwest coast in a city called Rio de Janeiro. This

city was established in 1565 by the Portuguese and from that moment until the 1960’s it remained as the

most iconic city of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro has a population of around 6.3 million people which makes it the

sixth larges city in the Americas4 and it has been recognized by UNESCO within the Cultural Landscape

section. Rio de Janeiro is recognized for its beautiful carnivals, bossa nova, the Ipanema and Copacabana

barrios and like all of Brazil, for its joga bonito.

Joga Bonito or “the beautiful game” is a term that was coined by one of the greatest football players

in history, Edson Arantes do Nascimiento aka “Pele”. The concept of joga bonito got power especially

after the creation of the FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which every country on the world has the

opportunity to play if they qualify. Football is by far the biggest sport in Brazil which have made it equally

as important as politics, economy and even religion. This sport in itself could be considered a monument

in a very abstract sense since it truly serves to propel the country in more facets that one might imagine.

The beautiful game is one of the clearest instances where an architectural monument is utilized for the

sole purpose of the exhibition of the team’s nationalities.

3. UNESCO. World Heritage: Brasilia. Accessed May 2, 2014. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/4454. Rio Olympic and Paralympic Committee 2016. Rio and its History. Accessed May 6, 2014. http://www.rio2016.com/en/rio-de-janeiro/rio-and-its-history


URBAN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE IN BRAZIL

It has become evident that one very essential variable in the success and permanence of a city is the way

that it has been planned. For example Paris, where the city is arranged by connecting the main streets

to important nodes which often times are related to monuments or parks, has proven that an intelligent

organization of a the city’s plan allows for the society to thrive and persist. Other instances like Venice,

shows that the lack of arrangement triggers the creation conflicts such as overcrowding, violence and even

conflicts with wastewater polluting the city’s environment. Many of the Latin American cities have been

arranged quite poorly in one way due to the fact that the colonizers took over the land and constructed

without a regard for future expansion nor organization. In other cases, the lack of organization is due to

the economic disparity that exists within the society.

Urban planning, architecture and landscape architecture are the three main disciplines that contribute to

the urban design of a city. The relationship between these three achieved concretion after the fifth CIAM

conferences in Paris. One of the main players of this conference was Josep Lluís Sert, a Catalan architect

deeply concerned with the urban problems that existed in Europe after WWI and WWII. After Sert

moved to America due to the Fascist dictatorship, he resumed his exploration into urban planning and the

relationship that existed between this discipline and architecture5. Brazil became one of his main interests

due to variety of sociocultural and spatial conditions that this country presented.

Rio de Janeiro was the location selected for the first urban planning project in South America proposed

5. Sert, Josep Lluís. SERT: Arquitecto en Nueva York. Barcelona, Spain: Actar, 1997.


by Sert. This project was called Cidade dos Motores and it comprised approximately 250 acres in the

outskirts of 1940’s Rio de Janeiro. The premise of this project was to create a city that would introduce

the principles of traffic segregation, contrast of heights and distances, and to create a variety of typologies

that would allow for the city to be completely self-subsisting6. Aside from the introduction of these three

principles, the city plan design was to propel the sociocultural, political and economical situation of a city

with a strong development potential through the introduction of primary elements and monuments, such

as a stadium and city parks. In urban planning a very crucial consideration is to create a logical system that

allows for a harmony to exist between the primary elements, urban artifacts and monuments.

THE MONUMENTAL ROLE OF THE MARACANÃ STADIUM

The exploration done by Sert in Rio de Janeiro was not in vane since it served as a catalyst to further

introduce similar ideas in this city as well as a precedent for what would be the design of Brasilia in 1960.

Rio de Janeiro presents various instances that start to show the implementation of the similar concepts.

For example the disparity that exists between the rich and the poor side of Rio shows how the lack of

organization in a city is a detriment for the areas to progress and overcome their current situation. On the

other hand, the rich side of Rio de Janeiro demonstrates how if a very minimal amount of organization

and logic is introduced the city can begin to flourish and advance. Within this city there is one urban

artifact that is essential the epitome of a propelling monument and that is the Maracanã Stadium.

6. MoMA. Two new cities rise from the swamp and slum. Accessed May 7, 2014. http://www.moma.org/docs/press_archives/1104/releases/MOMA_1946-1947_0087_1947-06-23_47623-25.pdf?2010


The Maracanã Stadium was designed for the fourth FIFA World Cup in 1950 when Rio de Janeiro was still

the capital of Brazil. After its completion it held the title of the biggest football stadium in the world with

a capacity of over 200,000 spectators. The Maracanã - or Estádio Jornalista Mário Filio - was intended to

house the Brazilian National Team as well as the two league teams that make up Rio, the Fluminense and

the Flamengos. The stadium was designed by the Brazilian architects Raphael Galvão, Oscar Valdetaro,

Pedro Paulo B. Bastos, Orlando Azevedo and Antonio Dias Carneiro7. Many of the greatest players in

history played in this field, amongst them are Pele, Obdulio Varela, Garrincha and Zico. The Maracaña

Stadium also housed the final of the 1950 FIFA World Cup in which Brazil lost against Uruguay. The

consummation of these events alongside with the prevalence that football has in the Brazilian culture are

what made the Maracanã a monument for Rio de Janeiro.

According to Sert’s first point on monumentality, “Monuments are human landmarks which men have

created as symbols for their ideals, for their aims, and for their actions. They are intended to outlive the

period which originated them, and constitute a heritage for future generations. As such they form a link

between the past and the future”8. With this in mind, one can draw the parallels between this statement and

the history of the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Through time the Maracanã has remained unmoved

and its presence continues to resonate throughout not only Brazil but also the world. It represents the

ideals of a city that is in constant will to prosper and succeed, it represents the aim that this city and the

people have to outlive the current times they faced, and most of all it represents the actions of a country

that has overcome the adversities in its path and that is now a dominant society in this hemisphere of the

world.

The Maracanã Stadium has now been renovated to once again return to its place of dominance and be the

main hub for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Its permanence is set to continue after this event with another

grand event, the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Maracanã Stadium has served to bridge the history of not

only Rio de Janeiro but also of Brazil to the current situation of proliferation and empowerment of this

country. Taking into consideration the context in which this stadium was built and the context in which

it lies now, the political and economical conditions that Brazil has and the sociocultural influence of

this stadium in the country, it is the propelling monumentality of the Maracanã Stadium is evident. The

Maracanã Stadium is an icon of the Brazilian culture, a symbol of unity in despair and a vessel for the

history of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

7. FIFA. Classic Football: Maracanã Stadium - Estádio Jornalista Mário Filio. Accessed May 7, 2014. http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stadiums/stadium=214/8. Sert, Josep Lluís. SERT: Arquitecto en Nueva York. Barcelona, Spain: Actar, 1997.


Figure 01

Maracanã Panoramic Seats

http://blog.pennlive.com/pennlive-soccer-fc/2013/06/the_2013_confederations_cup_ta.html

Figure 02

Maracanã Lights Field View

http://www.vitoamalfitano.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/maracana2.jpg

Figure 03

Brazilian National Congress

http://www.cntraveler.com/arts/2012/12/oscar-niemeyer-architecture-design-photos-120612

Figure 04

Brazilian Fans

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/no-more-samba-maracana

Figure 05

Cidade dos Motores

http://www.vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/arquitextos/11.124/3575

Figure 06

Rio de Janeiro 2014

http://wallpaperlikes.com/statue-jesus-rio-de-janeiro-free-desktop-city-wallpaper-1920x1080.html#.

U1A8dl7sfRo

IMAGE CITATIONS


Figure 07

Maracanã Air View

http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2013/06/04/the-new-soulless-maracana/

Figure 08

Goal 1950 Brazil v. Uruguay

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/feb/18/world-cup-25-stunning-moments-no2-

uruguay-brazil-1950-scott-murray

Figure 09

Edson Arantes do Nascimiento “Pele”

http://museuvirtualdofutebol.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Figure 10

Maracanã 1950 Postcard

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-536127888-rio-14707-postal-estadio-maracana-rio-de-janeiro-

rj-_JM


ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Banham, Reyner. The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic. Stuttgart, Germany: Karl Krämer Verlag Stuttgart,

1966.

Bullrich, Francisco. New Directions in Latin American Architecture. New York, NY: George Braziller, 1969.

The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic deals with an investigation into the realm of new brutalism

in architecture. The book begins by introducing the origins of this typology, moving forward

then into the polemic caused by Brutalism. Consequentially, there was a great impact on the

public and the professionals in regards to this typology and its urban implications. It transgresses

then into how these buildings, despite their hardships, prevailed as a typology and how a new

movement originated from this situation. The movement known as “new brutalism” was created

in an attempt to redefine what brutalism was and to integrate itself into the architectural field

once again.

This book is relevant to the exploration of the Maracanã Stadium due to the scale and the

monumentality associated with brutalist structures. This reading presents a similar situation in

regards to the limitations in construction, the economics behind these projects and furthermore,

the cultural and societal response or attitude presented. Along these lines, one can draw parallels

between this particular stadium and brutalism as an architectural typology, which allows for an

insight into design explorations.

Prior to any exploration one must understand the context of a site in its totality in order to

produce the most responsible design. Bullrich’s book is a perfect starting ground for this project

considering that he presents architecture in regards to Latin America by studying architects and

their works without allowing for their nationalities to play a determinant role. In other words,

the stance taken is more objective which in turn allows for a more complete understanding of

Latin America’s architecture. The book then breaks down the content by year and therefor a

chronological logic is imbued into the exploration.


Furthermore, this book will serve as a tool to begin a more complete research. It will present the

situation in Latin America as a whole at the same that it uses very specific examples of buildings,

architects and typologies. Beginning the research from a wider lens allows for a purer connection

to be established when discussing issues of history and the bridge between past, present and

future in Rio de Janeiro.

Building Brasilia is a book composed of various compilations of photographs that have as

a central object, Brasilia. The photographs and the text play hand in hand to introduce the

architectural world that exists in Brazil considering that is such as massive country with many

areas that are very distinct to each other. The book’s text presents Brasilia from the point of

view of Gautherot who since an early age had a strong infatuation with Brazil, its culture, its

people and its architecture. The book discusses the manner in which Brasilia was designed and

constructed from the ground up as well as the political, economical and societal limitations that

this city had to deal with in order to get to where they are now.

Considering that the Maracanã Stadium is located in one of Brazil’s largest cities, this book

is of great importance to the understanding of this stadium. The way Brasilia was designed

constructed and established is very similar to that of Rio de Janeiro since both have the highest

rank in terms of their importance in this country. They are the drivers for the biggest part of

Brazil’s economy and they contain the most amount of limitations not only political but also

sociological in regards to change. This book will serve to further highlight the issues undergone

by the designers and planners of the Maracanã Stadium and how these were overcome during a

time where Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil.

The Museum of Modern Art of New York City published this book as homage to Brazilian

architecture and how after much effort this society managed to grow exponentially into what it

was at the time and what it would be in the future. The book discusses the driving forces behind

this thriving country as well as the obstacles that they had to confront in order to achieve this

success. The manner in which it is presented is similar to that of Gautherot’s book in that both

present a series of photographs that introduce Brazil’s architecture through time.

Alongside with previous references, this book will serve to accentuate the ordeal that a country

has to go through in order to achieve success not only socially but also politically, economically

and architecturally. This book will be another degree of detail to go into when researching from

Gautherot, Marcel. Building Brasilia. London, UK: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2010.

Goodwin, Philip L. Brazil Builds: Architecture New and Old 1652-1942. New York, NY: Museum of Modern

Art, 1943


a broader point of view to a more detailed one until finally culminating with a direct exploration

into the Maracanã Stadium.

Lawrence, A.W. Greek Architecture. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books Ltd, 1957.

Greece is an ancient society that has been recognized all around the world to be the founders of

many of the sciences, arts and crafts that now prevail. This society began from the grew even

though technology was scarce and even inexistent, times when the oppression of certain arts and

ideologies was greater than what currently exists, times when things that seemed impossible were

achieved nonetheless. This book is an exploration into this ancient civilization that continues

to act as a propeller and an active player in our current era. Specifically, this book presents

everything that occurred in the architectural field of study in Greece and it explains how these

remain relevant to things that are currently designed and constructed.

Sometimes it is best to go to the root of the sciences in order to completely understand it. This

is not an exception, in actuality it is extremely relevant to understand how a civilization was able

to create technologies and be the propellers of such an amazing legacy. It serves as a precedent

to what is explored in books such as, Building Brasilia and Brazil Builds. Not only will it allow

for a broader understanding of the topic from a historical point of view but it will also present

it from a logistic manner where it explores the manner in which these technologies were created

and applied.

Brutalism is a compilation of writings and images that were created in an attempt to disseminate

Brutalism as a typology in a new and fresh way. Its relevance to this project is similar to that of

The New Brutalism where they both help at understanding what large-scale buildings have to

deal with when they are placed in different urban contexts. The important aspect to keep clear

is that this is not an exploration into Brutalism but rather an exploration into the contemporary

role that such monumental urban artifacts have in our society due to the fact that stadia are and

remain one of the very few large-scale monuments in architecture and therefor the pros and

cons of both typologies might lead to a possible dialect or harmony between them.

May, Kyle. Van den Hout, Julia. Reidel, Jacob. Franklin, Jeffrey. Lee Coates IV, Archie. Brutalism.

New York, NY: Clog, 2013.

Mayne, Thom. Rigolot, Stephani. Morphosis on Urban Planning: Combinatory Urbanism. Culver City, CA:

Stray Dog Café, 2011.

Thom Mayne’s book deals with the dialect that exists between architecture and urban planning.

Due to the current situations of globalizations, technological advancement, authorship, etc these

disciplines are being pulled away more and more with time, which in turn makes the task harder.


Existence, Space and Architecture is an analysis to a misconception that haunts the architectural

field of study. This problem being that there is a detachment that exists between the idea of

space and existence in architecture. According to this book, designers constantly forget that

when designing space one must not only take into account one very essential aspect of life and

that is existence. It is a complicated concept to grasp sometimes because existence seems very

immaterial but in reality it is very simple. Existence refers to human life and the fact that without

it nothing else would exist. When designing space one must be fully aware of this concept and

as Norberg-Schulz says “One must ask himself one question, what must we expect and ask from

architectonic space in order to maintain a good quality of life?

Norberg-Schulz’s book is of importance since space does not refer to the confines of a room,

space is anything and everything that can be activated by human interaction. Therefor, this would

include rooms, houses, skyscrapers, opera houses, stadiums, cities, countries and Earth as a

whole. By keeping this in mind, an analysis into the Maracanã Stadium’s spatial quality can enter

the conversation and play a very significant role in the research.

Aldo Rossi’s book presents the idea of an urban artifact and their importance to architecture

and their role in society. The architecture that exists within a city and what composes this mesh

is what interests Rossi and he identifies a variety of elements that serve as propelling forces in a

city. The relevance of this book to the research is that it introduces the concept of urban artifact

and it defines how these then help a city thrive and overcome the idea of being just temporal.

Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Existencia, Espacio y Arquitectura. Barcelona, Spain: Imprenta Juvenil, 1975.

Rossi, Aldo. Architecture of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1984.

This book will explore this issue and present possible solutions that might begin to alleviate part

of the problems or at least set a basis from which to build on.

The relevance of this book to the research on the Maracanã Stadium is that it discusses these

urban issues, which in many ways are currently affecting Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and many other

important cities around the world. Many of the urban artifacts or monuments – the Maracanã

Stadium included – are even being considered to be demolished in the near future. This book

explores this concept of temporality in architecture, in the city and in the society and how this

is one of the great parasitic ideas that is affecting these disciplines.

Sert, Josep Lluís. SERT: Arquitecto en Nueva York. Barcelona, Spain: Actar, 1997.

The idea of monumentality in architecture was something that many people might have had an

intuitive understanding of but Sert, Gideon and Laugier were the ones who established what

monumentality really meant and what defines a monument. This book presents this concept and


continues to describe how the architectural world has arrived to this idea, which were the main

players in this project and what were their test subjects. The relevance of Sert’s book is the idea

of monumentality and what each point of monumentality means to the Maracanã Stadium. It is

also very significant in that one of the main sections of the book explores how the concept of

urban design and monumentality was introduced and tested in Latin American cities, especially in

Brazil with the Cidade dos Motores. These were all occurring in the years that directly preceded

the creation of this stadium and therefor they played a role in the understanding of what this

stadium would mean to Rio de Janeiro.

maracanÃ stadium - sociocultural monumentality

Documents