“Attention is how the brain neurologically controls and directs consciousness, and this happens primarily in the frontal lobe, with communciation to the parietal lobe. When you pay attention to a thought, emotion, or perception, your brain activity increases. Your conscious life effectively becomes what you pay attention to.”
“It’s the one that leads into the rest of the world, where maybe you start to notice things. Maybe you notice something mundane, a piece of trash on the sidewalk… and you see it fresh. You notice all that’s around you.” ~ Sean Di Ianni, as quoted in Your Brain on Art
Attention, awe, beauty, learning, consciousness. Meaning, purpose, life.
The last stop on this epic day touring around São Paolo – all 8 stops including a spectacular lunch- was bittersweet for many reasons. But there’s a better word for this which I had to remember and thankfully I wrote about here: saudade. The emotions of the the day mixed between the excitement of awakening to this city (now favorite number 2 next to London) and its builders and their artifacts… the deep sadness to have one of my great friend’s brother passing away due to terminal illness (she had to leave that day- days before the end of the trip for the funeral) and the dread of this unconscious feeling that this was perhaps the last time I would see other friends for awhile. All of those mixed emotions stirred up- culminating in the context of the visit to this massive complex SESC Pompéia- designed by Lina.
Lina astounded me. I’ll end this overall Brazil set from Oct 2025 on MASP- the first and last place I went to visit in São Paolo. I love her name in and of itself. I love her ideas, I love the character that shines through in her attention to detail- it’s an experience where being shared and the flow that creates between people are the key element. She is now one of my favorite architects next to Scarpa, Piano, MVRDV, Herzog & de Meuron, Rietveld, Ando… kind of like the ratio of me to the rest of the incredibly talented group of people I get to work with.
The most famous spot is the athletics building (in the top photo) but I loved the art building.
This community center has something for everyone- a library, children’s play area, a theater – it’s the most complete concept of its kind. The materials are approachable- renovated within the original factory- and feel relatable as I imagine she wanted the people there to relate to each other. There is a big theme of community in Brazilian culture and this is why I think I really fell in love- I came for the music but I left with my heart full of awe.
Endings are necessary for beginnings and there is no linearity in that. Do we really die or is everything just changing all the time- the end actually the same as the beginning? And so even in a state of saudade- I reflect back and see that which is filled with light and dark and what is everyday for many to be exceptional for at least one- I feel expansion and a flourishing mutation of existence. The human brain processes beyond the linear at incredible speed and that attention as a skill something we must practice with diligence, lest it be the end of us all.
Address: R. Clélia, 93 – Água Branca, São Paulo – SP, 05042-000, Brazil
Website: arquitectura viva write up
Exterior
Theater
Workshop
Tower
Living room
