The Modern Architecture of Curitiba - Rubens Meister

Rubens Meister’s Office spread the Modern Movement in Curitiba, from the project of the Guaira Theater, until the 1960s, when the course in Architecture and Urbanism of the UFPR was opened. Rubens Meister was born in Botucatu, state of Sao Paulo on 21 January 1922, but was raised in Curitiba. Once graduated in Civil Engineering at UFPR. He became a professor in civil engineering at the UFPR right after his graduation (1947), being responsible for introducing the ideals of modern architecture for a generation of engineers. He presided in 1956 the committee responsible for creating the Department of Architecture and Urbanism at UFPR. Many other important Rubens Meister’s projects than those in the photos below are part of the landscape in Curitiba. Rubens Meister died on 29 June 2009.



Teatro Guaira (1948).
In the design of the Teatro Guaira, the access route from the entrance at street level to the auditorium on the second floor is a resource used by the Beaux Arts academies also inherited by Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer. Meister developed a self-taught method of acoustics and theater projects based on foreign literature. The small auditorium of 504 seats, the "Guairinha", was inaugurated in 1954 and the large auditorium for 2174 spectators, was inaugurated in 1974.


Reitoria Auditoriums of UFPR University (1956).
The auditorium of the Central Office of UFPR with 700 seats, has a peculiar spatial arrangement: the main access is placed at the bottom of the audience. The large glasses of the hall allow a clear view of the Rua XV de Novembro.


Centro Politécnico da UFPR (1956).
The Centro Politécnico of the UFPR was Meister’s great project. It was inspired by the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. The set of buildings adopted similar proposal for implementation of the blocks in the spirit of functionalism. The main administration building with five floors stands out.