Largo da Carioca

Black and white photo of a man standing in a construction site. He is turned away from the camera towards a decrepit building and some of Rio's skyline.

1970s
2020.20.2186

Since colonial times, the area known as Largo da Carioca has played an important role in Rio's life. The proliferation of late modernist office buildings in the mid-20th century evoked a path towards modernity that contrasted with the difficult lives of cariocas (natives and residents of Rio de Janeiro) and with the surrounding colonial-era buildings. This picture shows Rio's Carioca subway station under construction.