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| Oscar Niemeyer at age 103 |
Yesterday marked the death of Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, who died on 5 December 2012 at the age of 104, 10 days before his 105th birthday. For that reason, it is fitting to pay tribute on this hugely influential architect on today’s post.
Niemeyer’s portfolio included the UN Headquarters in New York City; the parliamentary buildings in Brazil’s capital, Brasília; several museums around the world in Italy, Brazil, Spain and Venezuela; and artistic libraries across Brazil.
He designed his work in a very modern style, not in any way confined by straight lines or fixed shapes. Indeed, many of his buildings are characterised by round tops, façades and walls. He described his work brilliantly in a much-quoted memoir:
I am not attracted to straight angles or to the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman. Curves make up the entire Universe, the curved Universe of Einstein.
In 1956, Niemeyer agreed to team up with city planner, Juscelino Kubitschek, to design a new capital city for Brazil that was more functional and centrally-located than the then-capital of Rio de Janeiro. Viewed from above, the street plan resembles a bird/airplane. The city also features the National Congress, Brazil’s main administrative building, University of Brasília, Ministry of Justice, Presidential Palace and South America’s largest library. All the mentioned buildings were designed almost single-handedly by Oscar Niemeyer.
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| Church of Brasilia |
Niemeyer remained active until his death, designing his last buildings in 2011 and 2012.
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| Interior of church |
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| Niteroi Contemporary Museum of Art in Curitiba, Brazilo |
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| Brasilia from the air |
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