In 1966, urban planner Lúcio Costa was outraged by the United States' war in Vietnam.
- Handwritten letter from Lúcio Costa to Anthony Kraft.
- One page.
- In Portuguese.
- Letter: 16.2 cm x 22 cm. Envelope: 15.0 cm x 9 cm.
- 1966, Rio de Janeiro.
- Perfect condition conservation.
- Unique set.
Dear AK
Thank you, it doesn't matter, it's just that I forgot to mark Japan and Korea in my sketch. I apologize for keeping these pointless observations while, at this very moment, we are killing people and destroying the work of men in an immoral and filthy war in Vietnam.
LC, RJ, 25/?/1966
Pike Coast (1902 - 1998) is a world-renowned urban planner, known for designing, starting in 1957, the Pilot Plan of Brasília in partnership with Oscar Niemeyer, who, in turn, conceived the famous buildings of the Brazilian capital. Years earlier, Niemeyer, a young, recently graduated architect, had requested an internship to Costa . His official biography also mentions his directorship of the National School of Fine Arts and IPHAN, and his intense collaboration with modernists, such as the renowned Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier.
Anthony Kraft was an editor of an architecture journal in Lausanne in the 1960s. Henri, one of our clients – and a great collector – thinks that "the letter refers to a discussion about a very interesting article by Lucio Costa that was published in the magazine in 1967 where he talks about forms and functions (...)"
Unpublished manuscripts or personal correspondence from prominent figures often reveal facts, feelings, and even convictions that are not found in books. This is one of the charms appreciated by enthusiasts of rare documents.
This is the case with this letter in which Pike Coast He speaks to a Swiss friend about a forgotten project involving Japan and Korea, in the midst of the United States' war in Vietnam: a huge frustration for the urban planner. The times were turbulent, and this sentiment was shared by millions of pacifists around the world, including great artists, scientists, athletes, etc.
The story is ironic, because few people know, not even the French, that Coast He was the son of a naval engineer - or diplomat, it's unclear - and was born in Toulon, the largest military port in Europe, in the south of France.
Letters from Pike Coast These are very rare; this is the first one I've found in the last 10 years. It draws attention for the strength of its content, obviously this impactful political opinion of the urban planner, but also for the commentary on one of his works that made him internationally renowned.
In excellent condition, with its original envelope and official letterhead from the Minister of Education, this is a high-quality piece that a collector or an institution studying or working with architecture should preserve. It enhances Brasília's value and also promotes world peace.
