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MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | NIEMEYER, OscarBorn: 1907 10 15Died: 2012 12 05 Architect | |||
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture. He is a pioneer in exploring the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete solely for their aesthetic impact. South African architects searching for southern hemisphere influences, looked to Brazil after the 'Brazil Builds' exhibition at MOMA (1943), made international available through the accompanying book by Goodwin and Kidder-Smith, where Niemeyer's 'Ministry of Education and Health' (1936-1943) was featured as its ''most compelling project'' (Gerneke 1998:203). Hellmut STAUCH, in 1948, traveled to Brazil to meet Niemeyer there and see his work, his Meat Board Building being directly influenced by this (Gerneke 1998:216-217). Norman EATON's 'Ministry of Transport Building' (1944- ; unrealised in its designed form, later to become NZASM Headquarters Building) was in design when he visited Niemeyer in his office in 1944 (Gerneke 1998:212-213). Niemeyer's influence was further encountered in projects such as on the consortium who designed the Transvaal Provincial Administration Headquarters Building (1962) (Gerneke 1998:218), Strijdom Monument (Hans BOTHA and Roelf BOTHA, 1972 - demolished) (Gerneke1998:218). [Anecdotally (facts to be verified): His father's brother Emil Carl Frederik Robert Niemeyer (1839-1887) emigrated top South Africa and married into the Marais family (of Eugene Marais progenitors), descendants being of the oldest law firms in Pretoria, today still bearing the family name Niemeyer]. References
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