Oscar Niemeyer , born with Rio de Janeiro the December 15th 1907, is most famous of the Brazilian architects. Its work, which narrowly fits in the movement of the international Style, holds a major place in the history of the Modern architecture.

Beginning of career with Brazil

Oscar Niemeyer becomes known after having taken part in the group of architects responsible for the design of the new seat of the minister of education and health with Rio de Janeiro for the government of Getúlio Vargas, in 1936.

Lucio Costa gained the public contest of the plan of Urbanisme of the new capital, organized in 1956. The president Juscelino Kubitschek then calls upon Niemeyer, which already took part with Le Corbusier in the realization of the seat of UNO in New York in 1952, to design principal public equipment of the city, of which the cathedral, the National congress, ministries, etc Juscelino knew Niemeyer since its project for the whole of Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG - Juscelino was at the time governor of Minas Gerais.

With its participation in the creation of the new administrative capital of the Brazil, Brasilia, inaugurated the April 21st 1960, the notoriety of the Brazilian architect becomes world.

Exile in France

With the come to power of the military dictatorship in Brazil, Oscar Niemeyer leaves in France where he was the originator of several buildings, such as the seat of the French Communist party, Place of the Colonel Fabien to Paris (1965 - 1980), the seat of the newspaper Humanity with Saint-Denis (1989), or the Labor market to Bobigny.

The lines of this last building take again the style of the House of the culture to the Havre in many points. Built between 1976 and 1978, it is composed of two distinct units. One finds an auditorium of 465 places surrounded meeting rooms and a building raised on Piloti S including/understanding four stages accommodating various trade-union organizations. Inaugurated on May 2nd, 1978, this structure counts in fact two different buildings which make only one block that the impression of rise and lightness welds durably. The curve, integral part of works of Niemeyer, is once more with the honor. Sometimes vague, sometimes mountain, it finds a smoothness that only the Béton could provide him.

Current period

Between 1991 and 1996, it carries out the museum of contemporary art of Niterói ( Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói ).

It conceives in 2003 the auditorium of Sao Paulo, inaugurated in 2005 and covered with a roof undulating out of concrete of almost 27  000 m ². Not very satisfied with the latter, it asked for the destruction of a fragment, which was refused by the municipality.

At the beginning of January 2007, after having met Hugo Chavez in Rio de Janeiro, it decided to make the plans of a monument in homage to Bolivar, which will be set up with Caracas and will be 100 meters high.

Niemeyer has only one girl, five grandchildren and several back-small-children. There is even a fifth generation.

When I draw, only the concrete will enable me to control a curve of such a full range. The concrete suggests flexible forms, contrasts of forms, by a continuous modulation of the space which is opposed to the standardization repetitive systems international functionalism.

In December 2006, it marries in second weddings its secretary Vera Lucia Cabrera, 60 years old, and affirms to feel again like a 30 year old young man.

Achievements

Achievements in Brasilia (Brazil)

  • Seat of the Public prosecutor of the Republic ( Sede da Procuradoria Geral da Republica ) 2002
  • Supreme court ( Supremo Federal court ) 2001
  • Association of the Bar of Brazil ( Ordem back Advogados C Brasil ) 1997
  • Superior court of justice ( Superior court of Justiça ) 1989
  • Museum of Brasilia ( Museu of Brasilia ) 1988
  • Espaço Oscar Niemeyer 1988
  • the Pantheon ( Panteão ) 1985
  • Memorial Juscelino Kubitschek 1981
  • Teatro Nacional Cláudio Santoro 1966-1981
  • Bridge Costa E Silva 1973
  • Institute power station of sciences ( Central Instituto of Ciências ) 1963-1971
  • Cathedral of Brasilia ( Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida ) 1970
  • Seat of the armies ( Quartel-General C Exército ) 1968
  • Ministry for Foreign Affairs ( Palácio back Arcos-Itamaraty ) 1962
  • Presidential palace ( Palácio C Planalto ) 1960
  • National congress ( Congresso Nacional ) 1958-1960
  • presidential Residence ( Palácio da Alvorada ) 1958
  • Vault Notre-Dame de Fatima ( Igreja Nossa Senhora de Fátima-Igrejinha ) 1958

Other achievements in Brazil

Achievements in France

  • House of the Culture Of Le Havre (the Volcano: 1972-1982). Accessible by a set of slopes, work is composed of two volumes to the female curves under a white concrete veil. They shelter the arts center and a multi-field room devoted to the performing arts.

  • Seat of the French Communist party 1965-1980 (Paris 19th district).
  • Labor market 1980 (Bobigny).
  • Bureaux Niemeyer I, II, restoring inter companies offices (Fontenay-sous-Bois).
  • Seat of the daily newspaper Humanity Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) 1989.

Other achievements in the world

  • Residences Hansaviertel 1957 (Berlin, Germany)
  • House Strick 1964 (Los Angeles, the United States)
  • Seat of the Editions Mondadori 1968 (Milan, Italy)
  • Seat of the United Nations 1952 (with Le Corbusier, Wallace Kirkman Harrison, S. Markelius, Taylor, Soilleux & Overend, G. Brunfaut, Studio E. Cormier, Known-Ch' eng Liang, NR. D. Bassov, Sir H. Robertson, J. Vilamajo) (New York, the United States)
  • University Mentouri 1971-1977 (Constantine, Algeria )
  • university Building Eshkol Tower 1976 (Haifa, Israel)
  • University Houari-Boumédienne 1974 USTHB, (Algiers, Algeria)
  • International exhibition 1968-1974 (Tripoli, Lebanon)
  • Room omnisport “cupola” of the Olympic complex (Algiers, Algeria)
  • Polytechnic school of architecture and town planning (Algiers, Algeria)

References

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