courtesy Paulo Mendes da Rocha

On Sunday, Brazilian architect and educator Paulo Mendes da Rocha died at the age of 92. A practitioner since the 1950s, Mendes da Rocha helped pioneer the "Brazilian brutalism" movement, filling his home country with graceful structures made from concrete and steel. In addition to teaching at the Architecture College of the University of São Paulo, Mendes da Rocha received a number of international honors for his work including the Pritzker Prize (2006), the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the 15th Venice Biennale (2016), and the Praemium Imperiale (2016), and the RIBA Royal Gold Medal (2017).

MuBE (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura) in São Paulo (1988)

Born in Vitória, Brazil, in 1928, Mendes da Rocha studied architecture at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University School of Architecture and City Planning in São Paulo, earning his degree in 1954. He began working immediately, quickly receiving accolades for the Paulistano Athletic Club (1957). Mendes da Rocha concentrated his work in Brazil, honing his architectural style as a member of the Paulista School movement and completing projects including the MuBE (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura) in São Paulo (1988), the Saint Peter Chapel in Campos de Jordão, Brazil (1987). Some of Mendes da Rocha's more recent works include the Patriarch Plaza in São Paulo (2002), Cais das Artes in Vitória (2011), and the National Coach Museum, in Lisbon, Portugal (2015).

Gabriel de Andrade Fernandes Saint Peter Chapel in Campos de Jordão, Brazil (1987)
Patriarch Plaza in São Paulo (2002)

A leader in Brazil's architecture community, Mendes da Rocha also served as president for the Brazilian Institute for Architects and taught at the University of São Paulo. He won a number of architecture's most prestigious awards including the Mies van der Rohe Prize (2000).

The architecture community has mourned its loss on social media.