Chu Ming Silveira
Chu Ming Silveira (Shanghai, April 4, 1941 - São Paulo, June 18, 1997) was a Chinese-Brazilian architect and designer, creator of the Orelhão telephone booth.[1][2]
Chu Ming Silveira | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1941 |
| Died | June 18, 1997 (aged 56) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Alma mater | Mackenzie Presbyterian University (1964) |
| Known for | Design of the Orelhão |
| Spouse(s) | Clóvis Silveira (m. 1968) |
Biography
Chu Ming Silveira was born in Shanghai to Chu Chen, a civil engineer, and Shui Young Queen. After the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, Chu Chen, a soldier in the Nationalist Army, fled with his family to Hong Kong, and eventually São Paulo.[1]
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Mackenzie University in 1964, and became famous for the design of the telephone booths, popularly known as Orelhinha and Orelhão. Icons of Brazilian design and world street furniture, the telephone booths were named by the Brazilian Telephone Company at the time of its launch, Chu I and Chu II, respectively, in honor of its creator.[3] The point of origin of her successful project was the shape of the egg which was, in her opinion, "the best acoustic form".[4]
Simplicity and respect for the forces of nature also characterized her residential projects on the coast of São Paulo, especially in the municipality of Ilhabela, where she developed a unique style called "Post-caiçara", in which she used contemporary materials and techniques in harmony with Traditional caiçara culture.[1]
Throughout her professional career, in addition to Architecture and Design, Chu Ming devoted herself to Visual Programming.[1]
Personal life
Chu Ming married in 1968 with the Brazilian engineer Clóvis Silveira. The couple's first child, Djan, was born in April 1971. Their second son, Alan, was born in October 1976.
Death
She died on June 18, 1997, in São Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 56.
References
- "A história da mulher que inventou o orelhão - As Mina na História". As Mina na História (in Portuguese). 2016-05-19. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- "Oi! In love with a Brazilian ear". Graphéine - Agence de communication Paris Lyon. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
- Silveira, Chu Ming. "Site oficial do orelhão e de sua inventora Chu Ming Silveira". Site oficial do orelhão e de sua inventora Chu Ming Silveira (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- Plugcitarios (2014-01-20). "Plugcitarios". Plugcitários. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
Biography:
Chu Ming Silveria was born in Shanghai, China on April 4, 1941, and died in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 18, 1997. While Silveria resided in Shanghai with her mother, Shui Young Queen, her father, Chu Chen, served as a soldier in the National Amry. Following the Communist success in the Chinese Civil War which began in 1927 and lasted through 1949, Chen flew his family to Hong Kong and eventually ended up in Sao Paulo with them (Dk & Team, 2017). While traveling at sea for more than three months, Silveria's family crossed paths from Hong Kong to Rio in 1951, where they found a home and started their new lives. Once settled in Sao Paulo, Silveria attended Mackenzie University and graduated in 1964 with a degree focused around architecture to help her pursue her interests in the design and architecture fields of study (Fesson, 2019). She was determined to become a successful female entrepreneur and innovator, and she did just that after spending several years earning a degree at Mackenzie University.
The Orelhão:
Following her graduation from Mackenzie University, Silveria went on to accomplish her goals and became a female innovator. Living in Brazil allowed Silveria to understand the struggles that the citizens faced when trying to hear each other talk on the phone in public phone booths located in urban areas. Additionally, she found that these phone booths would take up a significant amount of space on the sidewalks without delivering a solution that was pleasing to the consumers, and oftentimes they would be vandalized. With 52 million of the 100 million citizens of Brazil residing in urban areas at the time, Silveria put her mind to this issue and invented the Orelhão (Fesson, 2019). Not only did she craft a phone booth that was accessible to a majority of the residents, but she designed it in such a way that would bring forth the best acoustic form. After testing many ideas and finding which solution was the best for this pain point she found, she came up with a phone booth whose ears were formed in the shape of eggs in order to bring forth the best acoustics for Brazilians all around the country.
Today, the mobile company, Oi, is the largest telecommunication provider in South America. Not only does it have 17 million loyal clients, but it represents some of the leading icons of the telecommunication industry, such as Silveria and her invention of the Orelhão. Oi took this innovation to the next level and named the booths Chu I and Chu II based on their legacy and functions. Chu I is positioned in compact spaces such as public shops or workspaces, whereas Chu II is meant to function in outdoor spaces to provide comfort and security with the fiberglass that is incorporated in the booth to resist bad weather in the extreme temperatures that Brazil faces (Fesson, 2019).
Impact on Society Today:
Although much change has been made regarding technology and cell phone use since Silveria's invention of the Orelhão in 1971, she was one of the first to innovators to introduce this design and idea to the society at large. Today, the Orelhão has made its way to Latin American countries ranging from Peru, Columbia, and Paraguay to countries in Africa such as Angola and Mozambique along with China and other countries around the world (Green, 2016). In order to combat the struggles that the world is facing and provide a safe space for residents to talk to their loved ones, Silveria instilled a space of comfort with the small, welcoming shapes that are exclusive to the person talking in the phone booth and provide a sense of privacy for all. Silveria's legacy continues to this day, and her life accomplishments were recognized by Google Doodles on her 76th birthday (Chu Ming Silveira’s 76th Birthday - Google Search, 2017).
References:
Chu Ming Silveira’s 76th Birthday - Google Search. (2017, April 4). Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.google.com/doodles/chu-ming-silveiras-76th-birthday (Links to an external site.).
Dk, & Team, D. (2017). Is Chu Ming Silveira Dead or Still Alive? Chu Ming Silveira Birthday and Date of Death. Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://deadorkicking.com/chu-ming-silveira-dead-or-alive/ (Links to an external site.).
Fesson, J. (2019, July 23). Oi! In love with a Brazilian ear - Graphéine. Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://www.grapheine.com/en/graphic-design-en/oi-in-love-with-a-brazilian-ear (Links to an external site.).
Green, L. (2016, December 10). 24 Bizarre and Creative Phone Booths Around the World. Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://jetsetta.com/24-bizarre-and-creative-phone-booths-around-the-world/ (Links to an external site.).