The Key-role of Eladio Dieste, Spain and the Americas in the Evolution from Brickwork to Architectural Form

Abstract

In this paper the authors intend to outline the genius of Eladio Dieste, a Uruguayan creator whose architectural expression could be defined as truly modern for America and the world. His leitmotiv was the use of science and technology to solve not only formal but also social problems. Dieste excelled in the search for economic techniques adequate for enhancing creativity and human dignity. His avant-garde solutions are rooted in tradition and thus reflect the true character and untamed force of the Americas. He offered a new basis on which to cement a sustainable architecture of unquestioned prevalence in this nature-blessed continent. The authors are dealing here with something rather unusual in the field of building construction: an almost isolated author capable of introducing technical innovations, which can be both poetical and environmentally friendly. A builder who, confronted with the vast expansions of his native plains, invents a new tradition to put science at the service of people and architecture. The voice of underdeveloped countries is distinctly heard in the soft tones of Eladio Dieste′s architectural works. As his legacy has been somehow neglected, it is our hope with the present discussion on some of Dieste′s design insights to revive his methods and make architects more aware of the real significance of his compassionate and yet unequalled mastery.