Ibirapuera Park project, São Paulo, Brazil (Site plan)
Roberto Burle Marx
Brazilian, 1909–1994
Oscar Niemeyer
Brazilian, 1907–2012
1953
A large gouache and graphite on board site plan by Oscar Niemeyer that maps his proposal for São Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park, aiming to organize buildings, lakes, and paths into a cohesive modern civic landscape.
The sheet reads like a modernist collage: flat, saturated greens for lawns, pale gray ribbons for roadways, and clusters of jewel-like colored blocks for buildings and playgrounds set against a warm, sandy background.
It exemplifies mid‑century Brazilian modernism’s belief that architecture and landscape could reshape public life and helped popularize the vividly colored presentation drawing as a persuasive tool for ambitious urban projects.
Medium
Gouache and graphite on board
Dimensions
39 1/2 x 59 1/2" (100.3 x 151.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Roblee McCarthy, Jr. Fund and Lily Auchincloss Fund
Accession
157.1991
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
