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Architecture of Amazonian Monuments

Table of Contents

Introduction
Palace of Justice Raymundo Faoro
The Maloca
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The urban landscape in the Amazonian Americas is significantly different from the non-urban architecture. Modern Brazilian architecture represents an important element of cultural heritage that cannot be eradicated from the discussion on designs. Speaking of unique architectural elements that can be witnessed in Amazonian monuments, the key features that have to be pointed out are horizontal windows, roof gardens, and free facades (Griffiths and Hanna 105). There are different instances of symbolism in Amazonian architecture, where lightness, and integrated arts, and crafts are utilized to create a unique architectural style. On the other hand, there are non-urban instances of Amazonian American architecture, such as the Maloca. The use of natural materials also makes it safe to say that local architects look forward to preserving historic heritage irrespective of the architectural style (Smith 96). The current paper is going to present a review of two types of Amazonian American architecture that possess distinguishable visual and design-related characteristics.

Palace of Justice Raymundo Faoro

The Palace of Justice Raymundo Faoro was designed in 1962 and is located on the Ministries Esplanade. It was designed differently from other ministries to develop a unique visual style with the aid of rectangular bars. There is also the Itamaraty Palace, which features an identical set of features. These new designs were offered by Lucio Costa, with a reflecting pool and square pillars of identical height (Martins 42). The Palace of Justice is an important element of concrete structures representing Amazonian monuments, of the unique use of the free façade, free plan, and integrated artworks. Thus, it can be hypothesized that the Palace of Justice is closely linked to modern architectural Brazilian heritage. The historical significance of the Palace of Justice cannot be underestimated because of the sense of authenticity that was put in this architectural monument (Mertens 183). The use of modern production architecture elements makes the Palace of Justice stand out among other similar monuments. Thus, the Palace of Justice is a perfect example of a contemporary Amazonian American monument.

The visual aesthetics of Raymundo Faoro hint at the prevalence of art-based thinking that contributed to the development of the Palace of Justice. In addition to the integrated artworks, the modern design also featured the brise-soleil and promenade architectural (Spina and Huljich 83). The uniqueness of the Palace of Justice is highlighted by porches and sidewalks where counters, floors, and pillars are all layered in polished black granite. Black mirrors and large chandeliers contribute to the overall dark style of the Palace of Justice. Nevertheless, the design of Raymundo Faoro seems to be moderate compared to the Itamaraty Palace, where the level of eccentricity is maxed out as per the architects design ideas (Floré and McAtee 9). Thus, the Palace of Justice is an artistic contribution to monumental architecture in Amazonian Americas because it combines technical and artistic elements in perfect proportion. The main reason why this proportion is real is the formal arrangement of all elements of the Palace that embody the history of the region.

The Maloca

When discussing the history of Amazonian Americas and their monumental architectural heritage, it is important to assess the non-urban elements as well. One such architectural artifact is the Maloca. The latter is an ancestral house that could become home to several Amazonian families at once (Warren 16). A Maloca usually features several compartments that could be utilized by residents to hold ceremonies or even festivals during certain times of the year. Each Maloca features a space for dance and several entrances and exits for all residents. This architectural solution is often surrounded by neatly organized gardens where various plants are grown, such as pineapple, banana, and mango. In a sense, Malocas could be opposed to the Palace of Justice and other elements of contemporary Amazonian architecture because of the important value of protecting cultural heritage.

Even the fact that malocas can still be found in some of the ethnic groups from the Amazonian region is a hint at their significance as vernacular constructions with a long history. To build a Maloca, locals utilize natural products from the forest because the construction should symbolize the human willingness to connect to nature (Gabbay 68). The role of vernacular architecture cannot be underestimated because cultural indices of the Peruvian Amazon still have to be protected and addressed with care. The great value of ecology is ultimately supported by the constructors of Malocas because they see a unique sense in reusing all of the natural materials. The remains of wood are usually utilized to help locals cook their food and fertilize the soil. The Malocas represent a nature-based response to the need to adapt to the territory and climate (Roller 128). No professional advice is utilized by locals when they construct the Maloca, as they only rely on ancestral techniques.

Compared to any other construction in the Amazonian region, the Maloca seems to be the most important in terms of contributing to climate protection. The ability of the residents to build the Maloca without any artificial materials shows how humans could utilize natural resources to build edifices that survive rain, strong heat, and other possible calamities (Winter 4). The sustainable nature of the Maloca also makes them somewhat superior to artificial edifices, such as the Palace of Justice. The focus on recycling and meaningful use of all resources serve as a crucial reminder that the environment is the fundamental value available to humans. The overall ecological efficiency of Maloca can be described as inherently high because residents find ways to build their respective edifices in line with climatic and physical environments (Chindoy 68). The impressive designs of the Maloca instantly hint at the Amazonian roots of these pieces of architectural heritage.

Conclusion

Even though the process of urbanization across the Amazonian Americas was relatively slow, there was a difference between the traditional architectural decisions (e.g., the Malocas) and contemporary architectural artifacts (for instance, the Palace of Justice). The architectural traits of both the Maloca and the Palace of Justice can be seen as unique and visually descriptive in their ways. While the Malocas hint at the benefits of the human-nature connection, the Palace of Justice shows how new architectural structures could advance contemporary edifice planning and design. The connection between the urban and non-urban elements of Amazonian American architecture is not going to remain unnoticed. Thus, combinations of various architectural styles could appear in the future, creating enough space for fusion elements that are going to be artificial yet eco-friendly. From the perspective of sustainability, contemporary architecture in the Amazonian region does not outperform its Maloca counterparts at the moment.

Works Cited

Chindoy, Juan Alejandro Chindoy. A Decolonial Philosophy of Indigenous Colombia: Time, Beauty, and Spirit in Kamëntaá Culture. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020.

Floré, Fredie, and Cammie McAtee, eds. The Politics of Furniture: Identity, Diplomacy and Persuasion in Post-War Interiors. Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Gabbay, Liat Klain. Indigenous, Aboriginal, Fugitive and Ethnic Groups Around the Globe. Books on Demand, 2019.

Griffiths, Jane, and Adam Hanna. Architectural Space and the Imagination: Houses in Literature and Art from Classical to Contemporary. Palgrave Macmillan, 2020.

Martins, Luiz Renato. The Long Roots of Formalism in Brazil. Brill, 2018.

Mertens, Elke. Resilient City: Landscape Architecture for Climate Change. Birkhäuser, 2021.

Roller, Heather F. Contact Strategies: Histories of Native Autonomy in Brazil. Stanford University Press, 2021.

Smith, Amanda M. Mapping the Amazon: Literary Geography After the Rubber Boom. Vol. 8. Oxford University Press, 2021.

Spina, Marcelo, and Georgina Huljich. Mute Icons: & Other Dichotomies on the Real in Architecture. Amazon Books, 2021.

Warren, Louis S. American Environmental History. John Wiley & Sons, 2021.

Winter, Juan R. Duchesne. Plant Theory in Amazonian Literature. Springer, 2019.

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