Gio Ponti’s Latin [American] Encounters: A Reading from the Archives

Abstract

Abstract The design languages and forms of knowledge used by architects and other designers indicate that they not only operate ‘within the same domains of knowledge and action’, but also share similar historical contexts. Latin American modern architecture and design histories constitute an account of cultural exchanges between architectural and design practitioners working on a trans-national and multidisciplinary basis. Reviewing these practices today may help break the tendency of historical accounts to focus on a ‘diffusionist model’ and reinforce the critical acknowledgement of the modern legacy in Latin America. The work of architect and designer Gio Ponti is an example of this. During the 1950s Ponti travelled to many countries and built one of his masterpieces, Villa Planchart, in Caracas. Although much has been published about Ponti’s Venezuelan project, his letters reveal other lesser known but significant encounters with Latin American culture. Using his Domus editorials and readings from his correspondence as guidelines, complemented by articles, seminal books, and projects, this article will explore, from a more plural point of view, how Ponti’s experiences and relationships developed in Latin America, especially those lesser known relationships in Brazil, helped shape some of his design processes and conceptualizations.