River Basin Heritage: modernist hydropower and knowledge transfers in Brazil, China, and the global South

The historiography of Brazilian modern architecture has predominantly centered on the narrative of avant-garde modernism, emphasizing the contributions of individual architects. However, this focus has sidelined the critical role of infrastructure, particularly hydroelectric dams, in shaping the modern architectural and territorial landscape. While scholars such as Hugo Segawa and planning historians have drawn attention to the Companhia Energética de São Paulo (CESP) and its series of hydroelectric dams built along the Paraná-Tietê river system, significant gaps persist in understanding their broader implications. Specifically, two critical questions remain unresolved. First, from the perspective of architectural history, are the construction of hydroelectric dams and the works of modernist architects parallel yet incompatible trajectories? This question calls for a reassessment of how dams intersect with key works of Brazilian modernism. Second, contemporary critiques often attribute ecological degradation and flood risks in southern Brazil to these dams, focusing on their environmental costs while neglecting their transformative role in the modernization of the Global South. These critiques overlook the widespread dam-building phenomenon that occurred in Brazil and over 40 other resource-rich but economically underdeveloped nations, including China.