TELEFONICA Foundation: OSCAR NIEMEYER’s exposition
6 September, 2011 No Comments
About to turn 104 years old, winner of the Pritzker Architecture’s Prize ’87, and with a stunning resume of architecture works internationally recognized, Oscar Niemeyer remains active.
One of the lines of his artistic thought, reflected throughout his work, is summarized in this sentence:
Is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight, hard, inflexible line created by men, instead what attracts me is the free and sensual curve, the curve that I find in my country’s mountains, in the course of its winding rivers, in the sea waves, or in a beautiful woman’s body. The universe is filled with curves, Einstein’s curved universe. – Oscar Niemeyer
From his words it is clear that modern architecture should move out of the usual straight lines and put emphasis on curves, making a reference in his works to the structures of nature ….. In order to accomplish it, he explored the possibilities of reinforced concrete to create curved surfaces (innovations favor new creative possibilities).
Another of his lines of thought …. Niemeyer breaks the idea that a form follows the function and proves that when a form is beautiful becomes functional, and therefore, is fundamental to architecture .- Norman Foster
Niemeyer is one of the most prolific architects of the XXth century, creating imaginative constructions, curves (more complex than the straight line), with color, that were a revolution to the architecture of the time. Besides being an architect, Niemeyer is also a sculptor, an artist, a thinker, a humanist and an innovator, whose modernity astonishes in a conceptual and technical manner…. “The new different way, that surprises, that’s architecture” – O. Niemeyer
The importance of his work in relation to contemporary architecture: Created the most important buildings in Brasilia, a capital that has been declared a Historical and Cultural City of Mankind by the Unesco. It’s a brave architecture, sculptural, with passion for color, and that cannot be compared with anything that has been done before. “When I get a project I try to make it beautiful, different and that generates surprise …” -O. Niemeyer.
Niemeyer was born in Brazil 15.12.1907, and unsatisfied with his country’s existing architecture, he decided to pursue this career shaping his own personality into the architecture that has been doing until now. He has become a universal figure that we associate with Brazilian modernism, but to the question … can Niemeyer be included within the lines of modernism or he would be considered an “outsider”? Despite the answer, he really has a creative freedom in his drawings that leads him to find his own way into modern architecture.
Cathedral of Brasilia
To understand this architect, let me explain that not only he draws his work, but he also writes it, so that it makes more sense…. Amazing!
His work is far more extensive, but to make it short, let me include a brief summary with his career highlights:
* In 1952, following the initial ideas of Le Corbusier, Niemeyer collaborated in the building of the United Nations, in New York.
* In 1956, he worked on the project of building the new capital of Brasilia, where he was responsible for the design of residential, commercial and administrative buildings: Cathedral of Brasilia, Planalto Palace, or Itamaraty Palace….. Brasilia was a city designed, built, and developed in four years, the period of time that President Kubitschek’s was in charge.
* In 1966, during the military regime in Brazil, he was forced to exile to Paris where he worked on projects for Portugal, Morocco, and Malaysia.
* In the 80′s Niemeyer went back to Brazil, where he built several corporate headquarters in Brasilia, such as the Memorial JK, The patriotic Pantheon, the Sambadrome of the cities of Rio and Sao Paulo, the Latin America Memorial …
* From 1991-1996 designed the Contemporary Art Museum in Niteroi (MAC), considered by many his best work.
* In 2002 the Oscar Niemeyer Museum opened in Curitiba, southern Brazil.
* In 2007 is invited to design a football stadium due to the football world cup of 2014. 2007 also held the inauguration of The Oscar Niemeyer Popular Theatre in Niteroi, Rio which is a work dedicated to Brazil with green, yellow, blue and white colors.
* In 2009 The project for Spain: In return for the 1989 Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, Niemeyer, has given this institution the project for the International Museum of the Prince of Asturias Awards, that will be located in Oviedo, Asturias. It will be known as the Oscar Niemeyer International cultural center.
* Alive and about to turn 104 years old, is still active and able to perform, makes arrangements of his old works which are considered national or international heritage that can only be modified by him.
Niemeyer integrates his buildings within their natural environment, including vegetation and water, as lakes, part of his work.
This exhibition promoted by Telefónica Foundation in collaboration with the Hispano-Brazilian Cultural Foundation followed by the week of architecture, organized by the Municipality of Madrid, Coam, and Coam architecture foundation, presented a complete overview of the centenary of the Nemeyer’s work.
