The Modern in perspective

Arnaldo Maia Lello’s contribution to São Paulo architecture

Abstract

During the modernization process and the urban and cultural transformations of the early 20th century, architects, engineers, and other professionals played a key role in shaping the city. Arnaldo Maia Lello's construction firm was responsible for numerous projects between the 1920s and 1950s, particularly notable for high-end Art Deco residential and office buildings. This article aims to trace the trajectory of the professionals involved with Lello's firm, based on a documentary survey of primary sources, such as periodical publications that documented São Paulo's architectural production in the first half of the 20th century. The study contributes to the historiography of modern São Paulo architecture by highlighting a fragment of history during a period when the city sought to project an image of modernity. By bringing attention to figures and works often overshadowed in canonical historiography, this research uncovers new facets of architectural and urban history. It underscores the need for a broader, less linear understanding of modern architecture, extending beyond the canonical examples aligned with the avant-garde to include a diversification of sources and objects.