Mendes da Rocha, Paulo (1928– )

Brazilian architect and urban planner. Working mostly in his native São Paulo, he is known for his modernist-inspired style, innovative use of space and simple materials, and appreciation of architecture that addresses human needs. He was awarded architecture's prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2006.

Mendes da Rocha was a leading exponent of the brutalist movement, using heavy, unadorned concrete and exposed structural details. Though he was prolific in Brazil, he did not receive wide international attention until he won the Mies van der Rohe Prize for Latin American Architecture in 2000. His innovative works include the Guaimbê apartment building (1964), the Serra Dourada Stadium (1973) in Goiânia, and São Paulo's remodelled Patriarch Plaza (1992), which features a large steel canopy suspended over the central square.

Mendes da Rocha took a degree in architecture from Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, in 1954 and three years later won several prizes for his Paulistano Athletics Club (1957) in São Paulo. He was a lecturer at the University of São Paulo 1961–69, until Brazil's military dictatorship forced him to resign because of his political beliefs.

Other notable works, frequently collaborative efforts, include the Brazilian Pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, the Municipal Insurance Headquarters in São Paulo (1975), and the Museu de Arte Comtemporânea at the University of São Paulo (1975). He also made the shortlist in the 1971 competition to design the Pompidou Centre in Paris.