Oscar Niemeyer, born in 1907 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a highly acclaimed architect and urbanist recognized both in his home country and around the world for his exceptional work in Brazilian modernism.
Niemeyer graduated in architecture from the National School of Fine Arts (Enba) in Rio de Janeiro in 1934. In the same year, he began working with architect and urban planner Lucio Costa (1902-1998). In 1936, their office was tasked with creating plans for the Ministry of Education and Health (MES) in Rio de Janeiro, under the supervision of the renowned French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965), whom Niemeyer assisted as a draftsman. While working on this project, Niemeyer proposed changes to the original design, which were subsequently incorporated into the construction of the building.
Between 1940 and 1944, at the request of Belo Horizonte mayor Juscelino Kubitschek (1902-1976), Niemeyer designed the Pampulha Architectural Ensemble, a significant landmark in his career. This ensemble defied the strict principles of functionalism and embraced a new language of curved forms and surfaces, exploring the possibilities of reinforced concrete. In 1947, Niemeyer was invited by the United Nations (UN) to participate in a commission of architects responsible for designing the future headquarters in New York. The plans conceptualized by Le Corbusier, with Niemeyer's input, were chosen as the basis for the final project.
In 1955, Niemeyer founded the magazine Módulo in Rio de Janeiro. The following year, Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek invited Niemeyer to collaborate with Lucio Costa on the urban design of Brasília, the new capital of Brazil. In 1958, Niemeyer assumed the role of chief architect in Brasília and resided there until 1960. Some of his notable projects include the design of Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo in 1951, the headquarters of the French Communist Party in Paris in 1965, the Algiers School of Architecture in Algeria in 1968, the headquarters of Editora Mondadori in Milan, Italy in 1968, and the headquarters of the newspaper L'Humanité in Saint-Denis, France, in 1987.
Niemeyer developed a unique architectural style characterized by dynamic curves, fluid lines, and natural shapes. His designs reflect a belief in the transformative potential of modern architecture and design, embodying a poetic quality that exudes a sense of heroism. In his memoirs, Niemeyer expressed his preference for organic, flowing curves over rigid, straight angles created by human hands, conveying his attraction to the sensual freedom and elegance of these forms.