11. The Eiffel Building, Sao Paulo
Portuguese name: Edificio Eiffel
Standing tall on the public square of Republica District of the city of Sao Paulo is the Eiffel Building. This is another building that showcases the influence of Le Corb’s ideologies on Niemeyer’s style. The design here is based on the initial styles of ‘Cartesian Skyscrapers’ where the building is plan is oriented on two axes.
There are two main takeways from this project – One is that it was later found that orienting the plan with two axes was probably not the best way and lead to a hinderance to sunlight to some parts of the building. While the other was the variations and innovations brought into the facad emerely by the patterns of the windows. The deisgn has used a serie sof types of fenestrations and opunctures which not ony add to the improved ventilation but also adds to an aesthetic appeal.
12. Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland & Freedom, Brasilia
Portuguese name: Panteão da Pátria e da Liberdade Tancredo Neves
Niemeyer was known as the ‘Poet of Concrete’. The pale grey free flowing forms of the Tancredo Neves Pantheon make perfectbjustice to this fact. Oscar had a completely different percetion of the built form. There is dramatic quality to the forms and composition of the strctures in this project. Again like any other project of Niemeyer this one too sets an iconic imagery for itself but this time not only through its forms but also through the use of symbolic instalation on the tower.
13. JK Memorial, Brasilia
Portuguese name: Panteão da Pátria e da Liberdade Tancredo Neves
The JK Memorial is a presidential memorial and museum dedicated to Juscelino Kubitschek , the 21st President of Brazil and the founder of Brasília, capital city of Brazil since 1960 and situated at the monumental Axis in Brasilia. The Memorial is designed in concrete and depicts a burtalist modern style of architecture. The minimal design of he memorial structure is complimented with the similar themed landscape design and the reflecting pools around the memorial. Though not similar in forms and curves like the other projects of Niemeyer, this memorial has still managed to set an iconic imagery through its minimal features. This shows that no matter what ocar alsways had a unique apparoach and throught process to each of his works.
14. The Big Hand’, Sao Paulo
Portuguese name: Mao
‘The Big hand’ also known as MAO, is the part of the Latin American Memorial. It is a 7 mtr. high monument. The idea of the blood and energy sacrificed by the Latin American martyrs for the freedom of ther land is very well translated by Niemeyer through the hand monument in concrete and the blood depicted by the red relief work on to it. Oscar was of the opinion that sweat, blood and povery made the histroy of the Latin Americans and their struggle for their freedom. This design was his way of marking a respect to their efforts and make justice to it by creating this monoblock concrete memorial. This is another example where, a bare minimal design by niemeyer has set a very strong message out to the masses setting an iconic imagery for itself.
15. Lounge Chair
Portuguese name: Rio
Oscar Niemeyer’s magic is not restrcited to buildings and memorials, he also had a very sucessful stint in furniture design. And one of the timeless design by Niemyer is The ‘RIO’ which is a chaise lunge chair featuring all of the features of a typical ocar Neimyer design – innovation, futuristic, meticulous and icnonic. Like any other deisgn of Niemeyer, The Rio also uses a set of graceful curves that not only add to the aesthetics but also work very efficiently as far as the usuability and anthropometric issues are concerned for the furniture design.
The winding section designed in the furniture with the twriling curve helps to achieve a balance between the space and volume.The lounge chair design with wooden high gloss lacquer is inspired by the beauty of female curves and represents the geography of the city of Rio.
