To the death of Oscar Niemeyer

Ten days before his 105th birthday, architectural legend Oscar Niemeyer, who brought modernism to the South American continent, passed away yesterday.
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer began his career in 1934 at the studio of Lucio Costa, with whom he collaborated on the design of the Ministry of Education in Rio de Janeiro. On this occasion, he met Le Corbusier, who served the architects as a technical advisor during the construction. After World War II, Niemeyer was Le Corbusier’s representative in the design team for the United Nations headquarters in New York (1947-53). In his later years, Niemeyer moved away from strict modernist forms and developed his own style of organically shaped buildings, drawing inspiration from nature and feminine curves. The concept of the city of Brasília, which can be compared to Le Corbusier's vision of Chandigarh, represents the peak of Niemeyer's work. The capital city of Brasília, designed by Niemeyer (1957-64), was declared one of the youngest World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1987. In addition to the basic urban concept, he collaborated with Lucio Costa to design several significant government buildings. However, after many years, Niemeyer admitted that the Brasília project was a "failed experiment."
Niemeyer received numerous accolades for his work, including the Pritzker Prize (1988), the RIBA Gold Medal (1996), and the Praemium Imperiale award from Japan (2004). Niemeyer was a committed communist and similarly despised the right angle with passion. Even after crossing the age of a hundred, he did not slow down in his work and annually supplied the world with another museum or cultural center. His body of work consists of over 600 projects.

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Rio de Janeiro - At the age of 104, legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer passed away on Wednesday, having designed many of the most famous modernist buildings and co-authored the concept of the capital city Brasília. This was announced by Brazilian media.
     The architect had been hospitalized for almost a month in Rio de Janeiro, where he battled kidney problems and pneumonia. His death was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Samaritano de Rio hospital.
     Niemeyer had an extraordinary influence on modern architecture with his bold futuristic designs, rounded shapes, and use of glass and concrete. He began his career in the 1930s. Among his most famous designs are the UN Secretariat in New York, which he worked on with Le Corbusier, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Brasília. For the latter, he received the Pritzker Prize in 1988, which is considered the Nobel Prize for architects.
     In his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, he designed several buildings, including the Museum of Modern Art and the stadium known as Sambadrome, where samba parades are held during Carnival. However, his most famous legacy is a series of government buildings he designed for Brasília, the new Brazilian capital built in the midst of the jungle in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
     Niemeyer was born into a family with German, Portuguese, and Arab roots. Initially influenced by Le Corbusier's modernism, he later moved towards softer shapes, which he claimed were inspired by feminine forms as well as Brazilian hills and beaches. He became a national icon, similar to footballer Pelé.
     He was a lifelong communist and had a friendship with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. "Only two communists remain in the world, Niemeyer and I," Castro reportedly said in 1995.
     Niemeyer fled to France in the 1960s to escape the Brazilian military dictatorship. There, he designed about 20 buildings, including the well-known headquarters of the French Communist Party in Paris. According to Niemeyer's memoirs, the right-wing French president Georges Pompidou reportedly said at that time that the party headquarters "is the only good thing the communists have ever done."
     He remained active until the end of his life, with about 20 of his designs still being realized around the world. Despite his bohemian lifestyle, he lived for 76 years with his first wife, Annita, whom he married in 1928. After her death, he married his longtime secretary, 60-year-old Vera Lucia Cabrera, at the age of 99.