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Oscar Niemeyer
Designing the sweeping civic buildings of Brasília.
Pampulha · National Congress
- Born
- 15 December 1907
- Birthplace
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Died
- 5 December 2012
More people
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect who explored reinforced concrete as a material for expressive curves and monumental public spaces.
Early life
Rio upbringing
Grew up in Rio de Janeiro.
Architectural training
Studied at the national fine-arts school and worked with Lúcio Costa.
Career
- 1930s–1940s
Early modernism
Developed through collaborative projects and the Pampulha complex.
- 1950s–1960s
Brasília
Designed major buildings for Brazil’s new capital.
- Later decades
International work
Worked abroad and continued designing into old age.
Selected buildings
Pampulha
Created a group of modern buildings around a lake.
National Congress
Combined twin towers with contrasting curved chambers.
Niterói museum
Designed a circular museum overlooking the water.
Beyond architecture
Politics
Was a committed communist and spent years abroad during military rule.
Recognition
Shared the 1988 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Unknown (Mondadori Publishers). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
