Epistolary dialogues between F. Belaunde Terry and J. Pastor. Expressions of urban thought in Peru and Argentina in the mid-twentieth century

Abstract

The correspondence between two architects in the mid-20th century, between Argentina and Peru, focusing on urban thought, is a key to understanding the development and transformation of authenticity-related processes. Our study identifies expressions within the epistolary dialogue held by Fernando Belaunde Terry and José Pastor between 1948 and 1956 as these architect-urbanists engaged in a series of debates and took part in networks of influence that increased their disciplinary contact with inter-American organizations and shaped a model of technical action from private to state domains. Our hypothesis suggests that shifts in perspective in the pursuit of authenticity led to a disciplinary shift from urbanism to planning. Drawing from a unique corpus of handwritten and typewritten documents, we selected those that allowed us to delve into thought as an expression of the authenticity of Latin American urban and epistolary culture.