A Look Back at Oscar Niemeyer, Master of Curved Concrete
Oscar Niemeyer liked curves. The Brazilian architect, who rose to prominence in the 1940s, and died this past week, pushed the limits of concrete. He took a material that had historically been used for slabs, beams and pillars and sculpted it into arches and curves of every kind. At a time when modernist architecture was characterized by 'rational’ right angles, Niemeyer took his inspiration from Brazil’s beaches, rivers, ocean waves, and women. (He was always mentioning the women.) Seen today, many of Niemeyer’s designs still feel like they come from the future, or at least the future that was promised by the space age. In tribute to the architect, Wired presents some of our favorites.  Brazilian National Museum, Brasilia, Brazil Photo: Wikipedia  Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. This was the project that catapulted Niemeyer to international attention. It was part of the "Pampulha architectural complex," which included a casino, a restaurant/dance hall, a yacht club, a golf club and a church, all distributed around an artificial lake. The church's design was controversial; Niemeyer likened it to a hangar for god, the Archbishop of Belo Horizont likened it to "the devil's bomb shelter." Despite being completed in 1943, it was not consecrated until 1959. Photo: Wikipedia  The U.N. Headquarters, as built, is a collaboration between Niemeyer and Corbusier. Niemeyer's original vision called for a large public square in the center of the site. Their final joint proposal, known as 23-32, moved the Assembly Hall to the center.
The entire U.N. H.Q. campus is undergoing a total renovation now till 2014. In the interim, delegates are using temporary buildings to conduct their meetings and backroom deals.  Here's one for the conspiracy buffs: The same guy who created the U.N. Headquarters, designed the French Communist Party H.Q. In 2000, Italian fashion house Prada rented the building to present its collection. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP  Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center, Avilés, Spain. Photo: Wikipedia  National Congress of Brazil. The building was completed in the 1960s. On the left are the Senate chambers, while the Chamber of the Deputies sits on the right. The tower in the middle is where everyone's offices are. The building is among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Photo: Wikipedia  Palácio do Planalto, headquarters of the Executive Branch of the Brazilian Government, located at the Plaza of the Three Powers, in Brasília, Brazil. Photo: Wikipedia  Unlike Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Cathedral of Brasília was consecrated relatively quickly. Unfortunately, though the work is visually stunning, the acoustics are such that echoes make hearing the homilies very difficult. Renovations are underway. Photo: carlosoliveirareis/Flickr  Federal Supreme Court in Brazil. The building sits across a plaza from the National Congress of Brazil, along with the presidential offices.
Recently, it was the subject of a little bit of viral video action when supersonic jets shattered the windows during a fly-by. Photo: Leandro's World Tour/Flickr  Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. Photo: Wikipedia  Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Though it looks like a UFO, this project was sadly marred by a very earthly scandal. The land where it is located was locked out of construction by city council, until the new mayor Jorge Roberto Silveira secured a permit for the project. What the council didn't know was that Roberto's colleague Zeca Mocarzel had bought the land for cheap from the old owner, who thought it would never be developed. Photo: Wikipedia Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho, known as Oscar Niemeyer, was a Brazilian architect who is considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Wikipedia
Born: December 15, 1907, Rio de Janeiro
Died: December 5, 2012
Awards: Pritzker Prize, Royal Gold Medal
Spouse: Vera Lucia Cabreira (m. 2006),Annita Baldo (m. 1928–2004) |
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