The square as an operation of modern open space.

An analysis of Niemeyer's design for the UN headquarters complex (1947)

Abstract

It is well known that modern architecture rethought the traditional city in light of the ideal notion of the garden city, in which the urban void, converted into nature, would assume a leading role. However, despite the representations of utopian models emphasizing open space as a park, the square was also the object of relevant projects in modern architecture. This article examines Oscar Niemeyer's proposal for the UN headquarters complex (1947), in which the square constitutes a decisive formal and symbolic element. An analytical-descriptive approach is adopted as the method, based on drawing as an instrument of study and reflection. The central objective of the work is to advance the formal understanding of the modern square, problematizing the general understanding outlined in the state of the art of historiography. By analyzing Niemeyer's conception, the work advances the morphological discussion of the modern square, challenging the supposed homogeneity of the modern void frequently reiterated by critics, as well as signaling an important contribution of the Brazilian architect to the subject.