Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect born in 1907 who is considered a pioneer of modern architecture. He graduated from university in Rio de Janeiro in 1934 and joined a team collaborating with Le Corbusier. Some of Niemeyer's most notable works include the Cathedral of Brasilia built in 1960, known for its curved hyperboloid structure, and the National Congress of Brasilia from 1956-1958 which reflected the influence of Le Corbusier. Niemeyer was also famous for the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum built in 1996, with its iconic saucer-shaped structure providing panoramic views of Rio de Janeiro.

1. OSCAR NIEMEYER

2. • BORN -Oscar Niemeyer was born in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the 12th Dec
1907.
• EDUCATION - Oscar Niemeyer
graduated from the Escola Nacional de
Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro in 1934.
• PRACTICE - Oscar Niemeyer joined a
team of Brazilian architects collaborating
with Le Corbusier on a new Ministry of
Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro.

3. HE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE KEY FIGURES
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE
HIS EXPLORATION OF THE AESTHETIC POSSIBILITIES
OF REINFORCED CONCRETE WAS HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL
IN THE LATE 20TH AND EARLY 2I. ST CENTURIES.
NIEMEYER WAS MOST FAMOUS FOR HIS USE OF
ABSTRACT FORMS AND CURVES.
AWARDS:
LENIN PEACE PRIZE(I963)
PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRlZE(1988)
ORDER OR FRlENDSHlP(1988)
PRINCE OR ASTURIAS AWARD FOR THE ART$(1989)
ORDER OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT(1990)
MILITARY ORDER or SAINT JAMES OF THE
SWORD(199I)
ROYAL GOLD MEDAL(1998)

4. DESIGN IDEOLOGIES:
● ABSTRACT FORMS
● FREE FLOWING CURVES
● HIS BUILDINGS ARE CHARACTERISED
BY BEING SPACIOUS AND EXPOSED
● MIXING VOLUMES AND EMPTY SPACE
TO CREATE UNCONVENTIONAL
PATTERNS
● SIMPLE STRUCTURE WITHOUT MUCH
ORNAMENTATION.
'I pick up my pen. A building
appears'

5. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
“I am not attracted to straight angles or to the straight line, hard and
inflexible, created by man. I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual
curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, rivers,
in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman.
Curves make up the entire Universe, the curved Universe of Einstein.”
“My work is not about ‘Form Follows Function' , but 'Form Follows beauty’
or even better , form Follows ‘feminine’. “
- OSCAR NIEMEYER

6. CATHEDRAL OF BRASILIA , 1960

7. ● LOCATION - BRASILIA , BRAZIL
● TYPE - CHURCH
● PROJECT YEAR - 1960
● MATERIALS USED - CONCRETE AND GLASS
● DIMENSIONS - HEIGHT - 40 M
DIAMETER- 70 M
STAINED GLASS
CONCRETE HYPERBOLOID COLUMNS
● Oscar Niemeyer was sure to make a
statement with the powerful
expression and unique form of the
Cathedral of Brasilia.

8. COSTA’S BRASILIA PLAN
Cathedral of brasilia
Monumental axis
Cathedral of Brasilia is located along
the junction of monumental axis and
residential axis of brasilia city which
was planned by Lucio Costa who
was the mentor of Oscar Niemeyer
Residential axis

9. ENTRANCE THROUGH RAMP TO THE
LOWER GROUND FLOOR OF THE
BUILDING
almost crown-like hyperboloid
structure that appears pinned to
the ground.
Metropolitan curia
Baptistery
● Niemeyer’s intention was to create a
volume that has the same ‘purity’
from any perspective

10. Figuratively guarding the exterior of the church stand
four bronze sculptures, each 3m high
Belfry
Cross
at the
top
Most of the cathedral is below the ground with only the
roof of the cathedral , ovoid of the bapistry and the
bell tower visible above the ground

11. CONCEPT -
REPRESENTS 2 HANDS
MOVING UPWARDS
TOWARDS HEAVEN
ROOF SEEMS TO BE
REACHING UP UPON
HEAVEN
16 columns
16 columns holding the hyperboloid
structure
Columns have a triangular section
Glass facade held by columns
Niemeyer combined curved lines
with a free use of Brazilian
baroque style
Water body around
the cathedral

12. Hollow from
inside
Concrete columns
Basement
level
Constitutes side chapels
SECTION
No internal columns can be seen
inside the structure
All chapels are on lower ground floor
which is where we reach first when we
enter the chapel
Curved columns
joining together to
form a ring at the
top .
Ring shaped
roof formed at
the top
three sculptures of angels are
suspended from the ceiling
using steel cables.

13. Chapels - public area
Semi public area
Vertical circulation
Curved walls of the cathedral are covered
with hand-painted ceramic tiles.

14. There is a 12-meter (39 ft) wide, 40-centimeter (16 in)
deep reflecting pool surrounding the cathedral roof,
helping to cool the cathedral. Visitors pass under this
pool when entering the cathedral.
Acts as a sculpture - standing out
in the city

16. NATIONAL CONGRESS OF BRASILIA

17. YEAR:
1956-1958
OSCAR NIEMEYER
YEAR:
1956-1958
LOCATION:
BRASILIA, BRAZIL
ARCHITECT:

18. Costa’s brasilia plan
● Located at the head of the
abstract bird shaped city
plan.
● On the monumental axis.
National congress of
brasilia
Monumental axis
Residential axis

19. ● Tower preserves
uninterrupted views
● Located between two
cupolas
● Balance the visual
weight of the bowl
shaped cupola
● Horizontal line creates the
building session, since the
distance is indistinguishable
from the soil of the square
● 27 storey vertical tower
● Constasting to the base
of the building
● Visible from monumental
axis
The monumental axis with natonal congress in distance

20. triangular segments extend
from each corner of the long,
flat, overhanging roof to just
barely touch the edges of the
roadways.
Senate chamber
Chamber of Deputies
Public plaza

21. public plaza
Chamber of Deputies
Senate chamber

24. The National Congress reflects the strong influence of Le Corbusier, while hinting at
the more romantic and whimsical forms that characterize Niemeyer’s trademark
Brazilian Modernism.
Corbusier’s five principles: Full-width strip windows;
Rigid sun shading;
Roof gardens
Pilotis (columns raising a building above the ground);
Free-forming plans within a grid of columns.

25. Free-forming plans within a grid of columns.

26. full-width strip windows
rigid sun shading
pilotis (columns raising a
building above the ground);

27. FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY
HEADQUARTERS

28. Location: Paris, France.
Function: Government office
Project year: 1980
Materials: Large glass facade;
Steel and aluminum frames.
Principle for project: balance between open space and architectural
volume.
FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS

29. CONCEPT:
● Principle for
project: balance
between open
space and
architectural
volume.
● Avoid
excessive
occupation of
the site &
maximize green
space for city’s
residents.

30. ● The intention of
letting it
“breathe” to the
city and not
break the site,
materializes in
the occupation
of land under
ground level,
generating an
open space
district.
CONCEPT:

31. Two floors below
street level for
garages and other
services.
The great workers’ hall is
located underground to
maintain harmony between
volumes and spaces on the
exterior.
Large glass facade,
steel and aluminum
frames

32. PLAN

33. Legends:
Public areas
Semi public areas
Private areas
Circulation
Washrooms
PLAN

34. Legends:
Public areas
Semi public areas
Private areas
Circulation
Washrooms
PLAN

35. Legends:
Public areas
Semi public areas
Private areas
Circulation
Washrooms
PLAN

36. Legends:
Public areas
Semi public areas
Private areas
Circulation
Washrooms
PLAN

37. Legends:
Public areas
Semi public areas
Private areas
Circulation
Washrooms
PLAN

38. ● A white floating canopy projects from the sweeping
block to frame this subterranean entrance.
Final design had following
key features:
● Vertical serpentine block
of offices coupled with
vertical service cores
● Two separate towers
alongside a series of
subterranean public
spaces below grade to
preserve the openness
of the site Rising
above the ground
plane,

39. Inside, a series of offices separated by
demountable partitions.
Rich dark blue doors and olive green PVC
tiles to conceal service ducts.
Niemeyer was inspired by feminine
hence created this sculpture.

40. NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART
MUSEUM

41. LOCATION : CITY OF NITERÓI, RIO DE
JANEIRO, BRAZIL
PROJECT YEAR : 1996
TYPE: ART MUSEUM / GALLERY
MATERIALS USED : GLASS , CONCRETE
This iconic saucer-shaped structure,
situated on a cliffside above Guanabara
bay in the city of Niterói
Brilliantly frames the panoramic views of the city of Rio De Janeiro and
encapsulates the simple, yet brilliant signature aesthetic of Niemeyer.

42. Niemeyer’s poetic intention was for
the form to emerge "from the
ground" and "continuously grow
and spread," like a flower that rises
from the rocks.
swirling, red-carpeted, 98 meter-
long ramp.

43. ● Niemeyer claimed that the "field was narrow,
surrounded by the sea and the solution came
naturally.”
● This “natural,” intuitive solution was an elegant,
curvy structure that rises from a water basin,
creating an ambient sense of lightness and allowing
for full panoramic views of Sugar-Loaf Mountain and
the Guanabara bay.
● .The 50 meter diameter copula contains three floors,
set on a 2.7 meter diameter cylinder, anchored in a 60
centimeter deep 817 square meter pool.

44. Cylindrical base tower on which the
cupola is placed
SECTION AA’
Visual connection to
the surrounding

45. Going down to the basement, visitors can find
an auditorium for 60 spectators
the area planned for the restaurant,.
Basement plan
thin torn window horizontally along the
facade provides a glimpse of the beauty o
Guanabara Bay

46. Entrance through
ramp to the first
floor
central gallery
plus reception

47. MEZANINE FLOOR PLAN
Ramp towards the mezanine
level
Constitutes
galleries

48. Radial slanting windows provides the
panaromic view of the city and the bay

49. Second floor plan

51. CASA DA CANOAS

52. The most intriguing feature of the Das Canoas house is the
synthesis of minimalist and organic architectures.
Niemeyer’s Das Canoas is known as a work of glass, concrete, and
steel that bends to the earth, sitting above the Sao Conrado area of Rio.
Architect:
Oscar Niemeyer
Location:Estrada das
Canoas, Rio de Janeiro
Year: 1951

53. incorporated the house and pool into
the large granite boulder on the site.
Concepts of “inside” and
“outside”

54. The curved flat roof supported by light
steel columns and the transparent glass
walls make the house disappear within
the tropical jungle.
Windows are outgoing, making it easy
to peer out at the subtropical
vegetation. Nature is also fused with
the design by the use of granite
entering the living spaces from the
garden and seeming to almost climb
out of the soil.

57. PRESENTED BY :
BIMENPREET KAUR
PRIYAL AGARWAL
PRERNA SHARMA
THANK YOU