Oscar Niemeyer

Who is Oscar Niemeyer?

Oscar Niemeyer, born in Rio de Janeiro, was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century and a leading figure in modern architecture. After training in Rio he collaborated with Lúcio Costa and consulted with Le Corbusier on the Ministry of Education and Health building, an early landmark of Brazilian modernism. He became famous for his sculptural, curvilinear use of reinforced concrete, exemplified in the buildings of Pampulha in Belo Horizonte. His most celebrated achievement was the design of the principal government buildings of Brasília, the new capital inaugurated in 1960, including the National Congress, the Cathedral, the Alvorada and Planalto palaces, working again with urban planner Lúcio Costa. A committed communist, he spent years in exile in Europe during Brazil's military dictatorship, designing works such as the French Communist Party headquarters in Paris. In 1988 he received the Pritzker Prize. He continued designing well past his hundredth birthday, remaining active until his death at age 104.

Sources: The Pritzker Architecture Prize, 1988 laureate citation · Oscar Niemeyer, 'The Curves of Time: The Memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer' (2000) · UNESCO World Heritage documentation on Brasília