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¶ … Oscar Niemeyer's Public Works:
Brasilia
He is called an architect of the people and is known as Brasilia's greatest architect. Oscar Niemeyer has undoubtedly left a great and important mark not only upon this city, but upon the country as well. From his work in architecture, to his remarkable life, this man had a valuable and respect-worthy footprint upon humankind. This short synopsis will examine Niemeyer's life and his work in architecture.
Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil in 1907. By 1934, he graduated from the Art school in Rio, at which time he joined a team of architects who were collaborating with Le Corbusier. The architects were building a new Ministry of Education and Health in the city of Rio. Niemeyer worked with these architects until 1938. However, his work with Le Corbusier left a lasting influence upon his work, though he gradually acquired his own style. This personal style eventually employed "lightness of the curved forms created spaces," which often "transformed...
[1: "Oscar Niemeyer." Oscar Niemeyer: architect biography. 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011. . ]
It is important to note that the most important government building in Brasilia are Niemeyer's buildings and they include the domes of the National Congress, the curved columns of the Supreme Court, and the designs of the Brasilia Cathedral and Ministry of Justice. It is also important to mentioned Niemeyer's continuation of his work elsewhere in the city and the country. These works included the Estrada das Canoas and Obra de Berco in Rio de Janeiro, the Copan building, Ibiraquera Park, and the Dutchen factory in Sao Paulo, the Zoological Garden and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Algiers, and…
The first work to be analyzed is Cathedral of Brasilia. This work was completed in May of 1970. The Cathedral of Brasilia is said to be "often compared to the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral by English architect Frederick Gibberd" due to the fact that both buildings are "circular with high spires that extend from the top." The difference, however is that Niemeyer's spires on the cathedral are boomerang shapes that seem to flow and suggest curved, heaven-reaching fingers. [4: " Cathedral of Brasilia." About.com. 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011. < http://architecture.about.com/od/findphotos/ig/Oscar-Niemeyer/Cathedral-of-Bras-lia.htm>. ] [5: " Cathedral of Brasilia." About.com. 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011. < http://architecture.about.com/od/findphotos/ig/Oscar-Niemeyer/Cathedral-of-Bras-lia.htm>. ]
The next work to be analyzed in this short paper is the aforementioned Congress Building. This building is composed of three parts, one could say, connected by a strong base. The work is absolutely magnificent. The dome of the first part of the building, all white, contrasts with the dome on the opposite part of the building, though this second one is inverted and faces the sky, almost like a big bowl. In the center, two towers rise, as if from the center of the building. The entire work houses both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies and is definitely a continuation of Niemeyer's unique design. [6: Picture. Retrieved from: http://www.designcommunity.com/cgi-bin/mlk-http://www.scroll.demon.co.uk/brazil/bra14.htm ]
It is, due to these great works, that Niemeyer is Brazil's one of the greatest, if not the greatest 20th century architect. His work is as inspiring as it is lasting and original. With all the advances in architecture today, it is important to acknowledge this great man's contributions.
The capital city of Brasilia and its primary edifices were all state-commissioned in the middle of the twentieth century. President Juscelino Kubitschek’s vision depended on working with Oscar Niemeyer to create a unified, symbolic, modernist vision that encapsulated Brazil’s social, economic, and political progress. The centerpiece of Brasilia architecturally and symbolically is the Plaza of the Three Powers (Praça dos Três Podores), which includes the emblematic National Congress of Brazil.