João Filgueiras Lima called Lelé (*1932)

Yesterday I happened to visit the homepage of the Dutch Architecture Institute NAi and was quite suprised to learn that they are hosting an exhibition about Brazilian architect Joao Filgueiras Lima or, as he's being commonly called, Lelé. Entitled "Architect of Health and Happiness" it refers to Lelé's lifelong commitment to building for the public health sector which came as a result of his wife being injured in a car accident: due to his first hand experience of the horrible conditions in the different hospitals his wife has been treated in, Lelé decided to make bringing light and air into hospitals all over Brazil his mission. The exhibition dedicates a considerable part to his hospital building but also takes into account the breadth of Lelé's work that ranges from single-family houses over bus stations up to headquarters for private companies.

The book that, although not especially designed for it, accompanies the exhibition spans Lelé's entire career and with its 264 pages provides a profound inside into the architect's working methods. Published by Lisbon-based Editorial Blau in its ongoing series of monographs on Brazilian and Portuguese architects, the book is a welcome addition to my collection of books about modern architecture in Brazil.