
Ministry of Education and Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1937 · Plastic and wood
18 3/4 x 24 1/2 x 28 1/2" (47.6 x 62.2 x 72.4 cm)
Museum of Modern Art

Lúcio Costa was a Brazilian architect and urban planner whose modernist designs fundamentally shaped postwar Brazilian architecture and city planning. A founding figure in the development of a distinctly Brazilian modernism, he synthesized European functionalist principles with local materials, climate, and cultural contexts. His work ranged from residential and institutional buildings to master plans for urban development, establishing a vocabulary of clean lines, pilotis, and integrated landscape design that became characteristic of mid-century Brazilian architecture. Costa's influence extended beyond built work into architectural pedagogy and heritage conservation.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago