Post-colonial State Architecture in Planned Capitals of Latin America: Brasilia (Brazil) and La Plata (Argentina) = Arquitectura estatal poscolonial en capitales planeadas de América Latina: Brasilia (Brasil) y La Plata (Argentina)

Post-colonial Latin America was a region dominated by new nations that attempted to project an image to the outside world as modern and progressive states. Newly independent states employed architecture as means to create institutions for new governments, but also to demonstrate new nations modernity and development. In particular, capitals were considered the head of new states, so they embodied ideals, utopias and expectations of new governments. In this essay, I proposed a literature review related to identity and object for the state. This topics are mainly covered by four books written by Smith, Herrle and Wegerhoff, del Real and Vale. Then I explored local literature from two case studies of planned capitals in Latin America: Brasilia in Brazil and La Plata in Argentina. Finally, this essay concluded whether Latin American architecture was a re-making of European styles or there were some particularities in region’s built forms.