A Symbiotic Ecosystem Shaped by Art, Nature, and Affect in "Emotional Landscapes"

BOOKS

A Symbiotic Ecosystem Shaped by Art, Nature, and Affect in "Emotional Landscapes"

Authors

Luciana Trost

Ale Mottesi

Date

December 8, 2025

Through the lens of photographer Jonás Romo, this book revisits the work of Roberto Burle Marx, supported by the careful design work of Felipe Rocha and Leo Porto.

The acclaimed Brazilian architect, artist, and naturalist Roberto Burle Marx (1909–1994) comes back to life in this book through the eye of Jonás Romo, a photographer who brings an emotional imprint to his images of some of the most significant projects Burle Marx developed in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and São Paulo. Each photograph precisely conveys the sensitive tonality that the artist sought to express in his work.

Deeply committed to the fusion of architecture, art, and nature within the urban landscape, Burle Marx was a pioneer, ahead of his time in addressing eco-environmental concerns in Brazil’s major cities. He did so primarily by promoting an architecture adapted to nature: a modern architecture that is, above all, attentive and responsive to the ecosystem that surrounds it.

Explore Topics

TOWARD A THREE-DIMENSIONAL CUBISM

Chaise with plywood base from La Pepino series, upholstered in green velvet, shot by Ruben Ortiz in the home of Robbie Whitehead (2022).

TOPIC

Art

Die My Love: A Portrait of the Postpartum Experience

Only recently have health professionals and women themselves begun to recognize something called postpartum depression. Die My Love, based on the novel by Argentine writer Ariana Harwicz, navigates those dark waters that many women experience after giving birth.

Chaise with plywood base from La Pepino series, upholstered in green velvet, shot by Ruben Ortiz in the home of Robbie Whitehead (2024).

TOPIC

Film Reviews

League Spartan

A hard-edged geometric sans for bold, multi-weight display and digital systems, league spartan offers a full family of open-source weights, making it a workhorse for designers who need strong forms.

"I'm not a book publisher, so i had to navigate the process with no idea what it takes to make a book."

TOPIC

TYPEFACES

Burle Marx was a pioneer who addressed eco-environmental concerns in Brazil’s major cities well ahead of his time (...)

The book’s design is itself dynamic and interactive. The bilingual edition (Portuguese and English), laid out in a two-column format, invites a broad audience to gain a deeper understanding of the artist’s work. The choice of red for the fabric-covered cover, combined with the subtle colors of the photographs depicting the natural landscapes of his projects, as well as the ivory tone of the pages, offers visual rest to the reader, evoking serenity and encouraging reflection and contemplation. In addition, the use of different paper types and the inclusion of inserted printed materials throughout the book provide varied textures and modes of interaction, immersing the reader in a visual and sensory experience that is, without question, sublime, singular, and deeply emotive.

PORTO ROCHA

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Original title

Size

24.5 × 17.5 × 1.3 cm

No. of pages

111

Format

Full colour, clothbound debossed hardcover

Release date

2018

Language

English and Portuguese

ISBN

978-069-21605-7-2

CREDITS

Graphic design

Felipe Rocha and Leo Porto (Porto Rocha)

Illustrations

Jon Koko, Guillermo Santoma, Gabriel Ebensperger, Alexander Medel, Ana Montiel, Elliott Arndt

Editing

Jonás Romo, Felipe Rocha, and Leo Porto

Photography

Jonás Romo