Oscar Niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer (1907, Rio de Janeiro - 2012, ibid.) was a pioneering Brazilian architect and a key figure in modern architecture. Renowned for his bold curves and sculptural use of concrete, his designs broke from traditional straight lines, drawing inspiration from nature.

 

A graduate of the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (1934), Niemeyer worked with Le Corbusier and helped design Brasília, Brazil's modernist capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with landmarks like the Cathedral of Brasília, the National Congress, and Palácio da Alvorada. Other notable works include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói and contributions to the UN Headquarters in New York.

 

A lifelong member of the Brazilian Communist Party, Niemeyer faced exile after the 1964 coup but continued designing globally, leaving a legacy of over 600 projects that reshaped modernist architecture.