OSCAR NIEMEYER

POET OF CONCRETE

OSCAR NIEMEYER (1907-2012)

OSCAR NIEMEYER WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 12 1907 IN RIO DE
JANEIRO, BRAZIL.
GRADUATED FROM BARNABITAS COLLEGE IN 1923.
HE JOINED THE OFFICES OF LCIO COSTA, AN ARCHITECT FROM
THE MODERNIST SCHOOL.
OSCAR NIEMEYER IS A BRASILIAN ARCHITECT,CONSIDERED AS
ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL NAMES IN INTERNATIONAL
MODERN ARCHITECTURE.
NIEMEYER WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS DESIGNS OF CIVIC
BUILDING OF BRASILIA.
HE IS PIONEER IN EXPLORATION OF DESIGNS WITN REINFORCED
CONCRETE.
NIEMEYER WAS MOST FAMOUS FOR HIS USE OF ABSTRACT FORMS
AND CURVES.

INFLUENCES AND INSPIRATIONS

THE CORBUSIAN INFLUENCE IS EVIDENT IN THE EARLY WORKS
OF OSCAR NIEMEYER.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF BRASILIA, GLIMPSED IN THE SKETCHES
SUBMITTED BY LUCIO COSTA FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DESIGN
CONTEST FOR THE NEW CAPITAL OF BRAZIL, WAS THE RESULT
OF OSCAR NIEMEYER 'S DEFINITIVE IMPETUS ON THE SCENE OF
THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY
ARCHITECTURE.
THE CONCAVE AND CONVEX DOMES OF THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS AND THE COLUMNS OF THE ALVORADA AND
PLANALTO PALACES AND THE SUPREME COURT ARE HIGHLY
ORIGINAL FEATURES. COMBINING THESE WITH THE
SPECTACULAR FORMS OF THE COLUMNS OF THE CATHEDRAL
AND THE PALACES OF ITAMARATY AND JUSTICA, OSCAR
NIEMEYER SUCCEEDED IN CLOSING THE RECTANGULAR AND
SYMMETRICAL PERSPECTIVE FORMED BY THE REPETITION OF
THE ESPLANADA AND MINISTRY BUILDINGS.

IDEOLOGIES AND PHILOSOPHIES

I WAS ATTRACTED BY THE CURVE THE LIBERATED, SENSUAL CURVE
SUGGESTED BY THE POSSIBILITIES OF NEW TECHNOLOGY YET SO OFTEN
RECALLED IN VENERABLE OLD BAROQUE CHURCHES.
MY WORK IS NOT ABOUT FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION, BUT FORM
FOLLOWS BEAUTY OR, EVEN BETTER, FORM FOLLOWS FEMININE.
I CREATED ARCHITECTURE WITH COURAGE AND IDEALISM, BUT ALSO WITH
AN AWARENESS OF THE FACT THAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE, FRIENDS
AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THIS UNJUST WORLD A BETTER PLACE IN
WHICH TO LIVE.
ARCHITECTURE DOES NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. ITS ALWAYS ON THE SIDE
OF THE WEALTHY. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO BELIEVE THAT IT CAN MAKE
LIFE BETTER.
ARCHITECTURE WAS MY WAY OF EXPRESSING MY IDEALS: TO BE SIMPLE,
TO CREATE A WORLD EQUAL TO EVERYONE, TO LOOK AT PEOPLE WITH
OPTIMISM, THAT EVERYONE HAS A GIFT. I DONT WANT ANYTHING BUT
GENERAL HAPPINESS.

KEY ELEMENTS
ABSTRACT FORMS AND CURVES.
FREE FLOWING SENSUAL CURVES.
CURVED ARCHITECTURE THROUGH
REVOLUTIONARY USAGE OF CONCRETE.
HIS BUILDINGS ARE CHARECTERISED BY
BEING SPACIOUS AND EXPOSED,MIXING
VOLUMES AND EMPTY SPACE TO CREATE
UNCONVENTIONAL PATTERNS.
SIMPLE STRUCTURE WITHOUT MUCH
ORNAMENTATION.

CONCEPT AND STYLE

ORGANIC MODERN STYLE
URBANISM, MODERNISM AND CONTEMPORARY
STYLES.
TO CREATE A WORLD EQUAL TO EVERYONE.
TO LOOK AT PEOPLE WITH OPTIMISM.

WORKS
CIVIC BUILDINGS FOR BRASILIA.
PLANNED CITY FOR BRAZILS CAPITAL.(1960)
EXPLORATION OF THE AESTHETIC POSSIBILITIES OF RCC
THE PAMPULHA PROJECT
NITERI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
OSCAR NIEMEYER MUSEUM
BRAZILIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
ESTAO CABO BRANCO,JOO PESSOA, BRAZIL
OSCAR
NIEMEYER
INTERNATIONAL
CULTURAL
CENTRE,ASTURIAS, SPAIN
NATAL CITY PARK TOWER,NATAL, BRAZIL

CATHEDRAL OF BRASILIA
THE CATHEDRAL OF BRASILIA IS
THE ROMAN CATOLIC CATHEDRAL
SERVING BRASILIA,BRAZIL.
IT WAS DESIGNED BY NIEMEYER
AND WAS COMPLETED AND
DEDICATED ON MAY 31,1970.
THIS CONCRETE-FRAMED
HYPERBOLOID STRUCTURE,SEEMS
WITH ITS GLASS ROOF TO BE
REACHING UP OPEN,TO HEAVEN.

 IN THE SQUARE ACCESS TO THE

TEMPLE,ARE FOUR BRONZE
SCULPTURES WITH THREE FEET
TALL,REPRESENTING THE
EVANGELISTS.
INSIDE THE NAVE, ARE THE
SCULPTURES OF THREE
ANGLES,SUSPENDED BY STEEL
CABLES.
THE DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT OF
THE CARVINGS ARE 2.22 m LONG AND
THE SHORTER ONE 100 kg , 3.4 m
LONG AND TWO HUNDRED
KILOGRAMS THE AVERAGE AND 4.25
m IN LENGTH AND MOST THREE
HUNDRED KILOGRAMS.
THE BAPISTERY WAS OVOID IN
SHAPE.

 EACH PIECE IS INSERTED INTO

TRIANGLES WITH BASE 10m AND WERE
POINTED.
AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE
CATHEDRAL,IS A PILLAR WITH
PASSEAGES FROM THE LIFE OF
MARY,MOTHER OF JESUS.
NIEMEYER SAW A COMPACT AND CLEAN
CONCEPT, A VOLUME OCCURING WITH
THE SAME PURITY FROM ANY
PERSPECTIVE AND FOR TIMES OF DEEP
RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION.
IN THE AIR BORN OUTSIDE THE
STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH IS A CRY OF
FAITH AND HOPE,THEN,THE GALLERY IS
LOCATED IN SEMI-DARKNESS TO
PREPARE THE FAITHFULTO SNOW.

THE NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

THE NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART
MUSEUM IS SITUATED IN THE CITY OF
NITEROI,RIO DE JANEIRO,BRAZIL,AND
IS ONE OF THE CITY,S MAIN
LANDMARK.IT WAS COMPLETED IN
1996.
DESIGNED NY NIEMEYER WITH THE
ASSISTANCE OF STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER BURNO CONTARINI,WHO
HAD WORK WITH NIEMEYER ON
EARLIER PROJECTS,THE MAC-NITEROI
IS 16M HIGH;ITS CUPOLA HAS A
DIAMETER OF 50M WITH THREE
FLOORS.

 A WIDE ACCESS SLOPE

LEADS TO A HALL OF
EXPOSITIONS,WHICH
HAS A CAPACITY FOR
SIXTY PEOPLE.
TWO DOORS LEAD TO
THE VIEWING
GALLERY,THROUGH
WHICH CAN BE SEEN
THE GUANABARA
BAY,RIO DE
JANEIRO,AND
SUGARLOAF
MOUNTAIN.
THE SAUCER SHAPED
STRUCTURE.

CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS

PLAN

SECTION

OSCAR NIEMEYER CULTURAL CENTRE

THE OSCAR NIEMEYER INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL CENTRE IS THE

RESULT OF THE COMBINATION OF A CULTURAL COMPLEX DESIGNED
BY BRAZILIAN ARCHITECT NIEMEYER AND AN INTERNATIONAL
CULTURAL PROJECT,THE CENTER IS LOCATED IN ASTURIAS (SPAIN).IT
WAS INAUGURATED ON 26 MAY 2011.

 THE NIEMEYER CENTRE IS

FORMED BY FIVE ELEMENTS
THAT COMPLEMENT ONE EACH
OTHER.
THE OPEN SQUARE
THE AUDITORIUM
THE DOME
THE TOWER
THE MULTI PURPOSE
BUILDING
STYLE AND COLOURS
THE MAIN FEATURES IN
NIEMEYER,S WORK ARE THE
CURVES.THE COLOURS ARE ALSO
FEATURES:
MAINLY WHITE,RED,YELLOW AND
BLUE.

SITE PLAN

MULTI PURPOSE HALL

EXHIBITION HALL

OPEN SQUARE FOR

HUMAN KIND

SIGHT SEEING TOWER

AUDITORIUM

AUDITORIUM ELEVATIONS

SECTIONS

AAUDITORIUM

EXHIBITION HALLE

SIGHT SEEING TOWER

CONCLUSIONS AND LEARNINGS

SIMPLE STRUCTURES WITHOUT MUCH ORNAMENTATION.
MOULDING THE REIN FORCED CONCRETE INTO MANY
CONTEMPORARY FORMS.
NOT RESTRICTING TO TRADITIONAL STRAIGHT LINES.
CREATING SPACES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT HAS LARGE OPEN
SPACES FOR INTERACTION OF PEOPLE.
DESIGNING THE STRUCTURE IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT DOESNT
EFFECT THE SURROUNDINGS NATURAL FEATURES.
USAGE OF BRIGHT COLOURS ONLY TO HIGHLIGHT SOME
IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE DESIGN.

ANNEXURE
1936 Gustavo Capanema Palace, Ministry of Education and Health, Rio de Janeiro contributed
to theLe Corbusierproject.
1937 Associao Beneficente Obra do Bero (Association of Charitable Work) created a
verticalbrise soleil.
1938 Grande Hotel de Ouro Preto
1939 Brazils pavilion at1939 New York World's Fair contributed to theLucio Costaproject.
1940 Church of Saint Francis of Assisiand other buildings atPampulhainBelo Horizonte,
southeastern Brazil.
1946 Headquarters of Banco Boavista in Candelaria, Rio de Janeiro.
1946 ColegioCataguases(Odessa College).
1947 United Nations HeadquarterinNew York City.
1947 - Centro Tcnico Aeroespacial in So Jos dos Campos, SP
1951 Ibirapuera Park(with landscape architectRoberto Burle Marx).
1951 JK Building (Juscelino Kubitschek).
1951 Edifcio Copan(Copan Building) 38-story residential building in So Paulo, Brazil.
1952 Casa das Canoas Niemeyers personal home in Canoas, Rio de Janeiro.
1954 Residncia Cavanelas.
1954 Museu de Arte Moderna em Caracas (Museum of Modern Art in Caracas) .
1954 Interbaubuildings project in theHansavierteldistrict, part of the reconstruction of Berlin.
1954 Edifcio Montreal (Montreal Building) in So Paulo.
1955 Edifcio Califrnia (California Building) in downtown So Paulo (with Carlos Lemos).

1955 Edifcio Tringulo (Triangle Building), So Paulo.

1956 Edifcio Eiffel (Eiffel Building) located in Republic Square, So Paulo.
1956 Residncia Provisria do Presidente da Repblica (Provisional Residence of the President).
1958 Hospital da Lagoa (Lagoa Hospital) built inLagoa, Rio de Janeiro.
1956 - Residncia Provisria do Presidente da Repblica (Catetinho).
1957 Eixo Monumental (Monumental Axis).
1957 Palcio da Alvorada(English: Palace of Dawn) Presidential residence.
1958 Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Cathedral of Braslia).
1958 Church of Our Lady of Fatima ("Igrejinha Nossa Senhora de Ftima"/"A Igrejinha da
307/308 Sul")
1958 National Congress of Brazil (Congresso Nacional).
1958 Supremo Tribunal Federal or STF (Supreme Federal Tribunal) Federal Supreme Court.
1958 Palcio do Planalto(Palace of the Highlands) Presidential office.
1958 Cludio Santoro National Theater(National Theater).
1959 Palcio do Jaburu(Palace of the Jabiru) Vice-presidential residence.
1960 Praa dos Trs Poderes(Square of the Three Powers).
1960 - Cine Braslia.
1962 Palcio do Itamaraty(Ministry of External Relations).
1962 Ministrio da Justia or "Palcio da Justia" (Ministry of Justice).
1962 Universidade de Brasliamain building, the Central Institute of Science (Instituto Central
de Cincias, ICC).
1965 Aeroporto de Brasilia (Project was never built).
1985 Panteo da Ptria e da Liberdade Tancredo Neves (Pantheon of the Fatherland and
freedom)

1986
1987
1995
2002
2006

- Casa do Cantador (Palcio da Poesia).

Memorial dos Povos Indgenas (Memorial of the Aboriginal Peoples) .
- Superior Tribunal de Justia.
Sede da Procuradoria Geral da Repblica Brasileira (Attorney General's Office).
Cultural Complex of the Republic (Complexo Cultural da Repblica).
Biblioteca Nacional Leonel de Moura Brizola (National Library of Braslia).
Museu Nacional Honestino Guimares (National Museum Honestino Guimares).
Tribunal Superior do Trabalho.
2008 - Sede da Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil.
2011 Tribunal Superior Eleitoral.
2012 Torre de Televiso Digital (Braslia Digital Television Tower).

BOOKS BY OSCAR NIEMEYER

The Curves Of Time

Conversa De Arquitecto
Dunya Adil Degil
Wir Mussen Die Welt Verandern
Meu Sosia E Eu
Casas On De Morei
A Forma Na Arquitetura
Rene Burri.Brasilia
Niemeyer Par Lui-meme

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

MEMBER OF THEAMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (1949)
MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF MERIT OF LABOUR(BRAZIL, 1959)
INTERNATIONAL LENIN PEACE PRIZE (1963)
GOLDEN LIONOF THEVENICE BIENNALE(ITALY, 1963)
HONORARY MEMBER OF THEAMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS(1963)
HONORARY MEMBER OF THENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS
(USA, 1964) HONORARY MEMBER OF THEACADEMY OF ARTS OF THE
USSR(1983)

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Emery, Marc (1983),Furniture by Architects Scnd Edition, Harry N. Abrams. New
York
Niemeyer, Oscar (1983),The Curves of Time: The Memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer First
Edition, Park Avenue, London
Christopher Hall:"The Mark of a Master", inArchitectural Digest, October 2006
William J. R. Curtisin"Oscar Niemeyer: architects and critics pay tribute", inThe
Guardian, December 7, 2012
Stamo Papadaki.The Work of Oscar Niemeyerp. 19
http://style.time.com/2012/12/06/creating-a-city-out-of-wildnerness-oscar-niemeyer1907-2012/photo/mac-museu-de-arte-contemporanea-de-niteroi-rio-de-janeiro-1996-2/
https://nostalgicfuturist.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/oscar-niemeyer-architecture-andideology/
http://muar.ru/new/en/component/k2/item/433-oscar-niemeyer-poetry-of-form
http://www.greekarchitects.gr/en/books-review/oscar-niemeyer-curves-of-irreverenceid329

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