Tropical Brutalism

Inspired by the shapes of space, infrared photography is used to capture Brasília through the embodiment of Yuri Gagarin’s first impressions of the city: “I feel I have just disembarked upon another planet, not Earth”

An architectural playground, Brasília was born as a planned capital in the depths of the Brazilian cerrado habitat. It is moulded by strange shapes and forms that easily appear extraterrestrial at times. Although the city’s urban-scape continues to bring about debates regarding its overall practicality, my project makes use of black & white infrared photography to emphasise the space age facet of the city. Skies go dark as if the emptiness of space lingers above, while glowing structures are anchored to the ground, as if having landed from another world.