Lina Bo Bardi

Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992) was an important Brazilian architect of Italian origins. She is considered one of the most prominent names in Brazilian architecture of the twentieth century, so much so that she has been defined as "the female counterpart of Oscar Niemeyer". She was awarded a Golden Lion in memory at the 2021 Architecture Biennale. Born in Rome with the name Achillina Bo, she graduated in architecture at La Sapienza University before moving to Milan in 1940. Here she collaborated with Gio Ponti who introduced her to the circle of Milanese architecture magazines, where she held the role of editor for " Stile" and deputy editor for "Domus". Immediately after the war, her husband Pietro Maria Bardi was called to Brazil to find and direct the MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo), whose architecture Lina herself took care of. This project, consisting of a large suspended hanging room, is considered his magnum opus and her great masterpiece: begun in the 1950s, it was only finished in 1968. Other great examples of his architectural style, firmly rooted in the context of Modernism and rich in brutalist influences, were the Casa de Vidro (1950-51) and the SESC Pompeia Social Center (1977-86). Lina Bo Bardi also played a key role in introducing the modern concept of furniture design into Brazilian culture. Her design idea, strongly indebted to the experience alongside Gio Ponti, sees in the foreground the valorization of the artisanal qualities of the product and the recovery of a "local spirit" that takes into account the typical forms and ways of Brazilian popular culture. Her best-known creation, the Bowl Chair originally designed for her Casa de Vidro, is now produced by Arper, while several other furnishings by her are part of the Etel catalogue.