In all disciplines, from medicine to engineering, when young people finish their studies, as specialists they can only talk about their idea of architecture, or more in general their job. They haven’t yet thought about or taken much notice of all the rest, of life itself, which is more important than architecture.
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Here in Rio, people who live in the luxury apartments overlooking the sea regard the favelas as enemy territory. Yet our brethren live there, stuck without schools or any other facilities. It’s only logical that they grow up angry and rebellious. The worst thing is the lack of understanding.
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One day a journalist came to me and asked: “What is the most important word for you?” My answer was, “Solidarity.” Another journalist asked, “Oscar, what about life?” I told him: “Life is having a wife at your side, and after that it’s up to God.” This is true. A wife is the most important of comrades. As for life, take it as it comes. It’s not at our command. Some people come here thinking that we will save the world with architecture or literature, but what is needed is solidarity. We have to think in terms of equality, knowing that we men are not all that important, and therefore we must be simpler at heart. The rest is trivial.
