The goals of architectural history: João Boltshauser and Sylvio de Vasconcellos

Abstract

This article discusses the role of the history of architecture in architectural education, taking as a case study the trajectory of this discipline, from 1930 to 1964, at the School of Architecture of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, the first autonomous school of architecture in Brazil, which did not derive from the Academies of Fine Arts nor from polytechnic schools. In the early curricula, this perspective was represented by the discipline called “Analytic Architecture”, in which one studied in detail the architectural styles, which was taught by João Boltshauser, a professional with multiple roles as an architect, designer, philosopher, teacher and playwright. A very different perspective was the one adopted by Sylvio de Vasconcellos, who became the first professor of the institution responsible for the discipline called “Brazilian Architecture”. In his career three different fields intersect: architecture, heritage preservation and education, areas in which he worked with equal prominence.

Key words: history, architecture, education.