The works of architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907 – 2012) can never be considered boring. On the contrary, each one is a landmark, which gives many Brazilian cities an identity. Such as Niterói, the neighboring city of Rio de Janeiro, that is the proud owner of the futuristic Museu de Arte Contemporânea since 1996. Brasilia, the still young capital of Brazil (1950), is also filled with beautiful buildings from his masterly hands. It all started in Belo Horizonte.
Pampulha
When Niemeyer was 33, he was commissioned to design several buildings in a new development in the north of Belo Horizonte: the now famous Pampulha. In 1943, several buildings including the ‘Igreja Sao Fransisco de Assis’, ‘Casa do Baile’, Residência de Juscelino Kubitschek and ‘Museu de Arte da Pampulha’, were completed.
These works have had a large impact on modern Brazilian architecture. The church is considered one of his greatest masterpieces. It was so different from the traditional church buildings at the time that it encountered a lot of opposition from the Catholic Church, and it wasn’t until 1959 that it was consecrated.
Other important buildings of Niemeyer in Belo Horizonte
You don’t need a guide; you will recognize his work immediately, such as the ‘Edificio Niemeyer’ (1955), which can be found on the Praca da Liberdade in the Savassi district. It is a towering apartment complex with beautiful curved lines. The ‘Edifício JK’ (1951), built in the Barro Preto district. And one of his last works; the futuristic Cidade Administrativa. The complex consists of 6 government buildings that were opened in 2010 and is the seat of the regional government of Belo Horizonte. Cidade Administrativa is considered one of the most impressive buildings of the past 50 years in Belo Horizonte.
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