Bldg: Magic of the Favela
I recently returned from a vacation in Sao Paulo. One of the first things you notice upon landing is the presence of the shantytowns, or favelas, around the airport. A significant number of the poor Brazilians live in these types of squatter villages, which are present in most every Brazilian city large and small.
It really is an awful thing, but not an uncommon site in the developing world. Although Brazil is in some ways one of the richer countries of the world in terms of natural resources and accumulated wealth, a large segment of its population lives in abject poverty.
Today, a salute to the favela and its inspirations:
The many Carnaval parades and traditions originate with the samba schools of the favelas of Rio.
City of God, the story of a boy’s life and education in the favela. Powerful movie.
The Campana brothers Favela chair for Edra.
The rise of favela funk, with such producers as DiscoD and Diplo (great write-up at Arjan Writes).
Architectural models.
