There are artists and architects whose legacy seems to grow and mature over time. One example is Lina Bo Bardi, who was born in 1914 in Rome and moved to Brazil in 1946. Her practice, skillful in combining stylistic features of international modernism with local sensibilities, anticipated many of the themes now central to today’s architectural discourse. It is no coincidence that the 2021 Venice Biennale decided to honor her with a posthumous Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

In June, the Tchoban Foundation in Berlin opened an exhibition that offers a fresh look at the work of the Italian-Brazilian architect. By juxtaposing original drawings of some of Lina Bo Bardi's most famous works with photographs by Veronika Kellndorfer, curator and art historian Tereza de Arruda has created an interesting transmedia journey. At the center of this tale are six projects of cultural institution, still existing and functioning today: Casa de Vidro, Solar do Unhão, MASP - Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Teatro Oficina, SESC Pompéia, and Casa do Benin.

The chosen works perfectly illustrate Lina Bo Bardi’s many talents: from her focus on what is now called ‘heritage’, to her ability to integrate then-avant-garde materials such as glass and cement with traditional techniques and methods, all while maintaining a strong civic engagement and a distinguished political ethos. The exhibition is spread over two floors in the intimate spaces of the Tchoban Foundation, straddling the Berlin quarters of Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg.