Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect known for his curvilinear designs and use of reinforced concrete. Some of his most notable works include the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro, the Cathedral and buildings of Brasilia, and the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum. Niemeyer developed a style featuring flowing curves inspired by nature and a philosophy of generating emotion through architecture. He made extensive contributions to the design of Brazil's new capital Brasilia in the 1950s-60s.

1. SEMINAR ON
MODERN & CONTEMPORARYMODERN & CONTEMPORARY
ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECT – OSCAR NIEMEYERARCHITECT – OSCAR NIEMEYER
GUIDEDBY: AR.T.R.WARSI
PRESENTEDBY: MOHDFAIZAN
MOHAMMADSHAZEB
AFFAN YUSUF

2. AR. OSCAR NIEMEYERAR. OSCAR NIEMEYER

3. • BORN -Oscar Niemeyer
was born in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, on the 15th
December 1907.
• EDUCATION -Oscar
Niemeyer graduated from
the Escola Nacional de
Belas Artes in Rio de
Janeiro in 1934.
• At this time Oscar
Niemeyer joined a team of
Brazilian architects
collaborating with Le
Corbusier on a new
Ministry of Education and
Health in Rio de Janeiro.
Oscar Niemeyer worked
with Lucio Costa and Le
Corbusier till 1938 on this
project.
The Brazilian Palacio da Alvorada (Palace of the
Dawn), which was designed by architect Oscar
Niemeyer. Photograph: Eraldo Peres/AP
ARCHITECT
BIOGRAPHY

4. •The Corbusian influence is evident in the early works of
Oscar Niemeyer.
•The architect gradually acquired his own style: the lightness of
the curved forms created spaces that transformed the
architectural scheme into something that was so far unknown;
harmony, grace and elegance are the adjectives that are most
appropriate to describe the work of Oscar Niemeyer
•In 1942, Niemeyer created a series of recreational buildings
which borrowed extensively from the expressive Brazilian
Baroque style of architecture.

5. • 'I pick up my pen. A building appears'
Niemeyer created a style that
was revolutionary at the time.
While Le Corbusier paid
homage to the right angle,
Niemeyer chose the curve. A
church he designed vaulted
through the landscape like
some giant skateboard track
FROM
ARCHITECT

6. • He Believed Architecture Arises Out Of Technical & Social Projects. From
The Technical Point Of View.
• The Use Of R.C.C Today Allows to Architect A Wide Range Of Design
Possibilities.
• But Architecture Is Invention & To Be Superior It Must Generate Emotion
& Surprise.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
"ARCHITECTURE FOR HIM
ALWAYS BEGUN WITH DRAWING.
WHEN HE WAS VERY LITTLE HIS
MOTHER SAID HE USED TO DRAW
IN THE AIR WITH HIS FINGERS.
HE NEEDED A PENCIL. ONCE HE
COULD HOLD ONE, HE HAS
DRAWN EVERY DAY SINCE. THE
BUILDINGS DO APPEAR ON PAPER
THE WAY YOU SAY, BUT THEY
ARE NOT THE RESULT OF
GRATUITOUS BRUSHSTROKES”

7. Why Oscar Niemeyer is king of curves….?
The architect later became famous for his equation:
"mountains/waves/women = curves." "Oscar thinks of higher
or lower things, but never simply straight ahead,"
The Creator's Words
"Here, then, is what I wanted to tell you of my
architecture. I created it with courage and
idealism, but also with an awareness of the fact
that what is important is life, friends and
attempting to make this unjust world a better
place in which to live."
He used reinforced concrete very oftenly, because it
offers a host of possibility in curves designs.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

8. • Ministry of Education and Health (now the Palace of Culture), (with Le
Corbusier, Lucio Costa, Jorge Machado Moreira and Afonso Eduardo Reidy) at
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1937 to 1943.
• Museum Oscar Neimeyer, at Curitiba, Brazil, 2000
• BRASILIA The Capital of Brazil
• The Cathedral of Brasília.
• Brazil's National Museum
• Cultural Centre, Le Havre, France
• The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum
• The Canoas House
FAMOUS
WORKS

9. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ANDHEALTH
• It is one of the finest examples of
Brazilian 1930s modernist architecture,
designed in 1935 and 1936.
• It also employed local materials and
techniques, such as azulejos, blue and
white glazed tiles linked to the
Portuguese Colonial tradition, in
modern wall murals.
• it is raised 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the
sidewalk on pilotis (pillars) with access
unobstructed from surrounding
sidewalks and pedestrian areas
• it was the involvement of Le Corbusier
that attracted particular comment
outside Brazil
• Le Corbusier arrived in June 1936, and
spent four weeks on the project, during
which he worked most closely with
Niemeyer

10. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ANDHEALTH

11. • 2002 was inaugurated the Oscar
Niemeyer Museum complex, in
the city of Curitiba, Paraná. This
building is locally known as
"Niemeyer's Eye".
• The museum focuses on the
visual arts, architecture and design
.
• The museum features many of
Niemeyer's signature elements:
bold geometric forms, sculptural
curved volumes placed
prominently to contrast with
rectangular volumes, sinuous
ramps for pedestrians, large areas
of white painted concrete, and
areas with vivid murals or
paintings.
OSCARNIEMEYERMUSEUM

12. OSCARNIEMEYER
MUSEUM
• Oscar Niemeyer Museum. A strange, beautiful, powerful, lyrical composition.
Curving ramps connect across pool to sculptural eye and to long low layered
box. Sometimes referred to as the "Eye Museum" because of its signature form.

13. BRASILIA THE CAPITAL OF BRAZIL
• In 1939 Oscar Niemeyer and
Costa designed the Brazilian
pavilion at the New York World
Fair. The series of buildings
Oscar Niemeyer created till
1942 were heavily influenced by
the Brazilian baroque style in
architecture.
• Niemeyer organized a
competition for the lay-out of
Brasília, the new capital, and the
winner was the project of his old
master and great friend, Lúcio
Costa. Niemeyer would design
the buildings and Lucio the plan
of the city

14. BRASILIA THE CAPITAL OF
BRAZIL

15. • The plan of the central city has been likened to a
bird, a bow and arrow, or an airplane i.e.The
Pilot Plan. The basis of the city is a Monumental
Axis, or fuselage of an airplane, intersecting in
the center of the city with a Residential axis, or
the wings of an airplane.
• A monumental scale, a residential scale
• A gregarious scale (living in groups)
• And a bucolic scale (Relating to- countryside)
Oscar Niemeyer intended that every element –
from the layout of the residential and
administrative districts (often compared to the
shape of a bird in flight) to the symmetry of the
buildings.
BRASILIA THE CAPITAL OF
BRAZIL

16. • The Constitution of Brazil has always contained a provision for the
establishment of a new Capital in the center of the country, but But it was
not until 1956, after eight years of surveying, that the actual design and
construction of the new Capital began under President Juscelino
Kubitschek.
• In the space of a few months, Niemeyer designed a large number of
residential, commercial and government buildings. Among them were the
residence of the President (Palácio da Alvorada), the House of the
deputy, the National Congress of Brazil, the Cathedral of Brasília (a
hyperboloid structure), diverse ministries.
• Viewed from above, the city can be seen to have elements that repeat
themselves in every building, giving it a formal unity.
• The site chosen for Brasilia is located in the Federal District and
comprises 2,245 sq.miles (5,814 sq. km) of a sparsely inhabited plateau
carved out of the State of Goias, 3,609 feet (1,100 meters) above sea
level and 746 miles (1,200 km) from Rio de Janeiro
BRASILIA THE CAPITAL OF BRAZIL

17. • For the city's cathedral, Niemeyer wanted a clear space with natural
lighting, so he designed a circled building composed of abstract
elements suggesting the shape of hands pointing to the skies and
connected by a group of vitraux, window panes with images composed
of differently shaped and coloured pieces of glass.
• The cathedral of Brasília is especially beautiful, with diverse modern
symbolism.
• Its entrance is a dimly-lit corridor that contrasts with the bright,
naturally illuminated hall.
THE CATHEDRAL OF BRASÍLIA

18. THE CATHEDRAL OF BRASÍLIA

19. BRAZIL'S NATIONAL MUSEUM

20. BRAZIL'S NATIONAL MUSEUM
• Sometimes Niemeyer's instant buildings can veer towards the glib, or the
vacuous, as with the brand new National Museum at Brasilia, a white 80-
metre concrete dome wrapped around, inside and out, with a twisting,
elevated walkway.
• It's a fine conceit, but with nothing to show inside - no collection, only one
gallery - the building is an exhibition of itself.
• "What’s missing, however, is the lightness of touch that could draw you
deeper into the work. The concrete surfaces are crude and unfinished; the
structure lacks the careful refinement that gave his early buildings a textured
significance and signaled that the architect cared deeply about the people
who would inhabit them."
The ramp of Brasilia"s National
Museum, designed by Brazilian
architect OscarNiemeyer

21. CULTURAL CENTRE “LE VOLCAN”
(LE HAVRE, FRANCE)

22. SITE PLAN
PLAN, IT BEING
GENERATEDBY CIRCLES
OF VARYING DIAMETERS
WHOSE CENTRES ARE
LOCATEDON THE
HYPERBOLA
CULTURAL CENTRE “LE VOLCAN”
(LE HAVRE, FRANCE)

23. • The Public Entrance Opens Onto A Vast Common Reception Hall With
Cinema. Two Staircases Lead To The Public Foyer Of The Theatre.
• Niemeyer Also Strove To Compose An Interior Atmosphere: The Seats Of The
Theatre Auditorium Emphasize A Colourful Part Here, And In The Foyer
Smoked Mirrors Reflect The Light In A Mysterious Fashion. The Furniture In
The Hall (Fauteuils, Cushions) Form An Integral Part Of His Designs.
• 1200-seat Theatre And 350-seat Cinema In The Large Volcano; Multi-use Hall
With 200-500 Seat Capacity, 80-seat Auditorium, Meeting And Rehearsal
Rooms In The Small Volcano; Exhibits Hall, Workshops, Offices In The
Intermediary Spaces; 600-space Parking Garage; Enclosed Plaza.
• The Forum Is Accessible By Three Pedestrian Ramps: Two Wide, Gently
Sloped Ones And One Spiral
CULTURAL CENTRE “LE VOLCAN”
(LE HAVRE, FRANCE)

24. PUBLIC
FOYER
ORCHESTRA AREA
THEATRE

25. • Here Niemeyer Uses Double-curved Surfaces The Two Superstructure
Volumes Are Characterized By A Hyperbolic Parabolic Concrete Shell
Envelope.
• The Small Volcano Is A Volume In Revolution, A Hyperboloid. It Is
Formed By A Thin Sloped Concrete Shell, Supported By Successive
Slabs. Its Volume Is Symmetrical, But Its Panels Are On A Variable
Curve. A System Of Metal Shuttering Adapted To The Cadences And
Non-repetitiveness Of The Structures Was Thus Installed.
• The Volcano Was Constructed By Using A Tubular Scaffold
Overlapped Within The Interior Structures Of The Lower Section. This
Scaffold Was Covered By A General Sheathing That Served As A
Guiding Device And Support For An Exterior Shuttering Of Board
Facing Panels Fixed To The Metal Skeleton Of Variable Geometry.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

26. Foyerof the theatre
access doorforthe transit of
materials to the theatre wings
THE PUBLIC ENTRANCE OPENS ONTOA
VAST COMMON RECEPTION HALL WITH
CINEMA

27. THE NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEU
The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum overlooks the famed landmark Sugar
Loaf in Niteroi, Brazil.

28. THE NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEU
• His most treasured possessions is a
drawing he once made for me of the
Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art, an
ultra-modern building, looking out across
Guanabara Bay from Rio, that appears to
hover over the rock it rises from like some
flying saucer.
• To those who pay close attention, the
decline in the quality of Niemeyer’s work
whether resulting from a creative lull or
complacency brought on by fame or old
age has been evident since he completed
his Museum of Contemporary Art in
Niteroi in 1996. Resting lightly on a single
column at the edge of a cliff, its white
saucer-shaped form looks best against the
glamorous backdrop of Guanabara Bay."

29. THE NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEU
Drawings

30. THE NATIONAL CONGRESS BUILDING
• Oscar Niemeyer designed the National Congress
during the late 1950s and early 1960s while he
served as chief architect for Brazil's new capital
city, Brasília. The complex is composed of several
buildings. Shown here is the domed Senate
building on the left, the
• Parliament office tower at the center, and the
bowl-shaped Chamber of the Deputies on the right.
• The National Congress is the legislative body
of Brazil's federal government
• The building is located in the middle of
the Monumental Axis, main street of Brasília. In
front of it there is a large lawn where
demonstrations take place

31. PLAN
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS BUILDING

32. TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT PROJECTS
• 1957 - OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
REPUBLIC, BRASILIA; MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
BUILDING, BRASILIA;
• 1958 - FEDERAL SUPREME COURT; FEDERAL,
GOVERNMENT BUILDING, BRASILIA; THREE POWERS
PLAZA, BRASILIA;
• 1958 - CATHEDRAL, BRASILIA;
• 1965 - BRASILIA AIRPORT;
• 1967 - HEADQUARTERS Of THE FRENCH COMMUNIST
PARTY,PARIS;
• 1969 - UNIVERSITY OF CONSTANTINE, ARGÉRIA;
• 1987 - LATIN AMERICA MEMORIAL, SAN PAOLO;
• 1991 - MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, NITEROI;
• 1994 - MUSEUM OF MAN AND HIS WORLD; EMBRATEL
TOWER, RIO DE JANEIRO;
• 2003 – SERPENTINE GALLERY PAVILION “LONDON”
• 2005 - IBIRAPUERA AUDITORIUM. SAN PAOLO

33. HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS
• 1956- ENTRUSTED WITH HOLDING THE COMPETITION FOR THE
BRASILIA CITY PLAN, & BECOMES THE MEMBER OF PANEL
ADJUDICATORS.
• 1955- FOUNDS "MÓDULO" MAGAZINE IN RIO DE JANEIRO; BECOMES
HEAD OF THE "NOVACAP DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
AND URBAN STUDIES", IN CHARGE OF BUILDING BRASILIA.
• 1954- TRAVELS TO EUROPE AND PARTICIPATES IN THE PROJECT
FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF BURLIN.
• 1945- JOIN THE BRAZILIAN COMMUNIST PARTY.
• 1936- PARTICIPATES IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
EDUCATION PROJECT; MEETS LE CORBUSIER AND GUSTAVO
CAPANEMA.

34. HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS
• 1995-AWARDED HONORARY DOCTORATES BY THE
UNIVERSITIES OF SAN PAOLO AND MINAS GERAIS.
• 1988- RECEIVES THE PRITZKER PRIZE FOR ARCHITECTURE
• 1978- FOUNDS THE "CENTRO BRASIL DEMOCRÁTICO
CEBRADE" AND IS ELECTED ITS PRESIDENT.
• 1966- PUBLISHES THE BOOK "QUASE MEMÓRIAS: VIAGENS"
(ACTUAL MEMORIES OF JOURNEY)
• 1963- APPOINTED AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE
AMERCAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE IN U.S.A.
• 1962- APPOINTED COORDINATOR OF THE SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE; TRAVELS TO LEBANON TO DESIGN THE
INTERNATIONAL PERMANENT EXHIBITION CENTRE .

35. OPINION OF OTHERS
Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright
And Alvar Aalto Were All In Awe Of This Young
Brazilian Who Single-handedly Transformed Architecture
Into A Wonderful Thing Of Sensuous Curves, Lightness
And Unforgettable Forms. Even Then, They Didn't Always
Understand The Ways Niemeyer Was Transforming
Modern Movement Architecture To Suit Brazilian
Conditions.

36. CONCLUSION
• Oscar Niemeyer is the greatest architect Brazil has ever had, he is a genius,
he designed Brasilia, a truly beautiful city, his buildings are a perfect mix of
functionality and beauty. Everybody should visit Brasilia, because there
stands the buildings he designed
• The UN has declared Brasilia a World Heritage Site for a reason, and the
reason is that Brasilia was the greatest creation of Oscar. He is renowned
world over.
• What I like most about his best buildings is that they seem to have emerged
in an instant, as if fully formed from his mind, hand and eye. They are as
they are and you cannot imagine them being any other way; they seem to
spring naturally from their sites

37. THANK YOU