Until his death at age 104, Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) was something of
an unstoppable architectural force. Over seven decades of work, he
designed approximately 600 buildings, transforming skylines from
Bab-Ezzouar, Algeria, to his homeland masterpiece Brasília.
Niemeyer's work took the reduced forms of modernism and infused them
with free-flowing grace. In place of pared-down starkness, his
structures rippled with sinuous and seductive lines. In buildings such
as the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Edifício Copan, or the
Metropolitan Cathedral in Brasília, he brought curvaceousness to the
concrete jungle. In the futuristic federal capital of Brasília, he
designed almost all public buildings, and thus became integral to the
global image of Brazil.
With rich illustrations documenting highlights from his prolific career,
this book introduces Niemeyer's unique vision and its transformative
influence on buildings of business, faith, culture, and the public
imagination of Brazil.
About the series
Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the
best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's
Basic Architecture series features:
an introduction to the life and work of the architect
the major works in chronological order
information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as
construction problems and resolutions
a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of
the best and most famous buildings
approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and
plans)
