La ville pour tous is a collection of writings by the great architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, offering an overview of his work and of Brazilian society in the second half of the twentieth century.
A representative of the São Paulo School, the architect winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2006, da Rocha is also the author of a significant body of writings that were published only sporadically in journals and specialized books. In these texts, written on the occasion of award ceremonies, conferences, or publications in São Paulo newspapers, Mendes da Rocha shares his reflections on universal themes—the defense of democracy, the access to beauty and comfort for the working classes, the quality of life in cities, and the relationship to nature and territory—which go far beyond purely disciplinary concerns. Like his built works, his texts bear witness to a clear vision: that of an emancipatory architecture, capable of shaping a new society.
Paulo Mendes da Rocha (1928-2021) was one of the leading Brazilian architects of the 20th century.
