Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) was best known for his design of civic buildings for BrasÃlia, a planned city which became Brazil’s capital in 1960, as well as his collaboration with other architects on the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Niemeyer’s first major project was the design of a series of buildings for Pampulha, a planned suburb north of Belo Horizonte. His work, especially on the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, received critical acclaim, and drew Niemeyer international attention. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Niemeyer became one of Brazil’s most prolific architects, designing a range of buildings both within the country and overseas.
He received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1988.
Related: Influential Architects: Mies van der Rohe – Oscar Niemeyer official site