A Year Without Oscar

Niemeyer observa maquete da escola projetada em Belo Horizonte (MG). Image Courtesy of ON

It’s been exactly one year since the world first mourned the passing of a great master of 20th century architecture: Oscar Niemeyer.

After 104 years of life, the renowned architect left a profound legacy. His works - known for their impressive curves, embrace of light, and profound relationship to their surroundings – made him an icon. Not just in Brazil, but the world.

Biography

Oscar Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1907. He studied at the Beaux Arts School in Brazil, where he graduated as an architect in 1934. He first worked in the offices of Lucio Costa and Carlos Leão; Niemeyer would subsequently work with Costa many times throughout his life.

In 1945, he joined the Communist Party of Brazil. In 1966, two hears after the military coup, Niemeyer opted to self-exile to France, where he also worked as an architect.

He returned to Brazil in 1985, when the military government ended, and lived there until his death.

Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói – Niterói – RJ. Image © Fabiano Caetano

During his life, he received countless recognitions and awards, including the Pritzker Prize in 1988.

Palácio da Alvorada. Image Courtesy of ON

In the development of his works, it’s possible to observe the characteristics that would repeat throughout his long career. Each of Oscar Niemeyer’s works displays a strong relationship with its site, adapting to its surroundings.

The use of pilotis and concrete also became distinctive Niemeyer markers.

One of the signature characteristics of his work – and that which perhaps had the greatest influence on modern architecture – was Niemeyer’s use of the curve, particularly in his concrete structures. These designs broke ground, expanding our understanding of the formal and compositional potential of concrete.

Igreja da Pampulha. Image © Bruno do Vale

In 1940 he met with the then-mayor of Belo Horizonte, Juscelino Kubitschek, with whom he would collaborate on the creation of his masterwork: Brasilia.

Brasilia

The capital of Brazil, founded in 1960, began to be developed in 1950, whenJuscelino Kubitschek was elected President.

Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1987, Brasilia was the first modern city to receive this honor, due to its singular architecture and radical urban planning (designed by both Niemeyer and Costa).