Docomomo International is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Ruth Verde Zein. We express our heartfelt condolences to her loved ones, and to her friends in the architectural community. We would like to share the obituary by the coordinator of Docomomo Brazil, Marta Peixoto, below:

Ruth Verde Zein was born in 1955 and lived her entire life in São Paulo. She graduated in Architecture from the University of São Paulo in 1977. From 1983 to 1996, she served as editor of Projeto magazine, where she refined her writing and engaged closely with architectural production in Brazil and across South America. She later earned her master’s degree (1999) and doctorate (2005) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto Alegre, establishing lasting academic ties. Her Ph.D. dissertation, A Arquitetura da Escola Paulista Brutalista, received the first Brazilian Ministry of Education Prize for Best Thesis in Architecture (2006). She went on to receive several national and international awards, including the CICA Dennis Sharp Award (2020), in the Bruno Zevi Book Category, for her book Critical Readings.
Ruth was a professor and researcher at the School of Architecture and Urbanism of Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie for three decades, where she inspired generations of students. Her academic presence, however, extended far beyond. She was often invited as a visiting professor and lecturer at universities and institutions throughout Brazil and internationally.