Oscar Niemeyer

Objectives

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

· Identify aesthetic and functional qualities of the Modern Architecture of Brazil.

· Recognize cultural impact of government policy on public planning in Brazilian society circa 1950s/1960s.

· Identify the works and design aspects of Oscar Niemeyer’s architecture.

· Create their own model city or building using Niemeyer’s concepts of site specificity as seen in Brasilia.


Discussion Question(s)
  • What are three characteristics of Oscar Niemeyer’s work?

· How does modern Brazilian architecture compare/contrast with pre-existing Portuguese influenced colonial architecture?


Materials Needed

· Foam core, cardstock, X-acto knives, foam cutter, hot glue gun, large flat surface.

· Site of the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (Museum of Contemporary Art), Niteroi, Brazil, http://www.macniteroi.com.br/ (September 13, 2009)

Books such as:

  • Andreoli, Elisabetta and Forty, Adrian. (2007) Brazil’s Modern Architecture.
  • Niemeyer, Oscar. (2007) Curves of Time: The Memories of Oscar Niemeyer.
  • Philippou, Styliane. (2008) Oscar Niemeyer: Curves of Irreverence.
  • Underwood, David. (1994). Oscar Niemeyer and Brazilian Free-Form Modernism.
  • Weintraub, Alan and Hess, Alan. (2006) Oscar Niemeyer: Houses.

Related material also on this website

  • Background Information, Niemeyer Background Info.doc
  • Power Point presentation, Niemeryer Power Point.ptt
  • Activity Worksheet, Niemeyer Activity Sheet.doc

Set Up and Introduction

View the Power Point presentation and use discussion questions such as these to stimulate dialogue. Students can use the first part of the activity sheet to take notes during the discussion.

· What are three characteristics of Oscar Niemeyer’s work? (Slide 8 of Power Point: Expressive/curvilinear lines, white concrete, utilizing surrounding environment in the design, brises-soleil, azuielo)

· How does modern Brazilian architecture compare/contrast with pre-existing Portuguese influenced colonial architecture? (Slide 2 of PPT: Modern architecture rejected the highly decorative Baroque style for simplified forms with minimal flourishes. )

· What would an architect need to have in mind when developing a plan for an entire city versus planning for one specific building? (Slide 9-18 of PPT; If building one building, architects need to focus on the main purpose of their specific building, as well as considering how their building relates or stands out from its neighbors. When planning a whole city, architects have the chance to design a multitude of buildings that have different purposes. Architects also need to plan out the entire city, from the placement of buildings, man-made lakes, and traffic patterns.)

· How does modern Brazilian architecture utilize the existing surrounding environment into its designs? (Niemeyer used stilts to raise his buildings up so that one could see under/through to the surrounding environment, creating a sense that nature and environment could become part of architectural design. With the MAM in Caracas and the MAC in Niteroi, Niemeyer used the natural outcropping of rocks to highlight his designs, which mimic the natural landscape surrounding it. )

· How can environment and climate influence architectural design (compare and contrast local climate with Brazil’s climate, etc.)? (Brises-soleil are permanent shades built onto the exterior of buildings to shade interiors from tropical sun. Azuielo, or tiled exterior components, are used for their durability as well as their ability to repel humidity and moisture much like tiles in a bathroom while adding color and decoration to the outside.)


Procedure

1. Based on the previous discussion, have students generate a list of aesthetic qualities for Niemeyer’s work. Decide as a group which they admire most.

2. Teams of students choose a building from their own city to study architecturally and recreate in the style of Niemeyer.

3. Divide into teams to recreate specific buildings in their town in Niemeyer’s style using the second part of the activity sheet. (An alternative assignment would be to create an ideal building. The activity sheet would have to be modified.)

4. Review the concept of scale and how to use it in creating model buildings.

5. Demonstrate appropriate tool safety techniques.

6. Teams create a scale model of their buildings using mat board, cardstock, etc.

7. Assemble the buildings into a town.

8. Critique layout and construction in written and verbal formats. Be sure to consider the aesthetic qualities of Niemeyer’s work.

Extending the lesson:

· Arrange a field trip to local public buildings to discuss the form and function in local architecture.

· Invite a local architect to show how to create models and discuss function of urban planning and how it relates to architecture.

· If students have access to CADD lab, they can create designs using that technology.


Assessment and Wrap Up

· Review the three characteristics of Niemeyer’s work and the aesthetic principles discussed earlier.

· In writing, critique the town that was created; then, share the ideas in a group discussion.


Brazilian Modernist Architecture Worksheet
Background for Teachers

Define architecture: It is the art of designing buildings and large structures.

What makes a work of art or architecture “modernist”? The architect’s or artist’s rejection of previous styles of art or architecture for a more modern and streamlined aesthetic style.

What is “cultural anthropophagy”? It is the philosophy of the digestion and destruction of the existing Portuguese colonialism to create a new Brazilian culture.

The following words are aspects of Brazilian architecture’s aesthetics. Define and explain their importance to the Brazilian Modernist style, using specific Niemeyer buildings as reference:

Concrete: Material used by Niemeyer to create more organic forms. Concrete was easily available in Brazil as a material and therefore allowed buildings to be made by local craftsmen. White concrete is evident in the curved pedestrian pathways leading to the MAC and the MAM.

Pilotis: Concrete stilts used to raise the bulk of the building up so that a sense of lightness is achieved. Pilotis allow for the eyeline to continue underneath the façade. Seen in Palacio Gustavo Capanema, MAC and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum.

Brises-soleil: Permanent fixtures to the outside of a building which deflect harsh tropical sunlight. They keep light and heat out. They are evident on the Palacio Gustavo Capanema and the 1939 World’s Fair Pavilion.

Azuielo: Tiled accents added to the exteriors of buildings, seen on exterior of church of Sao Francisco at Pampuhla and Palacio Gustavo Capanema.

Curvilinear: A curved line or form. The MAC, the Basilica at Brasilia, and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum’s eye shape and pedestrian walkway are examples of curvilinear lines.

Site specific architecture: A building designed with the surrounding environment in mind. The Modern Art Museum in Caracas and the MAC are examples of this concept.

How did Le Corbusier influence Oscar Niemeyer’s work? Le Corbusier used concrete as well as bold geometric shapes and colors in his work, and used pilotis.

How did Brasilidade and Estado Novo influence the architecture of Brazil? These government programs created opportunities for regional architects to design and plan entire site-specific cities using local materials and labor.

Name _______________________ Date ____________________


 

Brazilian Modernist Architecture Worksheet
Note-taking

Define architecture

What makes a work of art or architecture “modernist”?

What is “cultural anthropophagy”?

The following words are aspects of Brazilian architecture’s aesthetics. Define and explain their importance to the Brazilian Modernist style, using specific Niemeyer buildings as reference:

Concrete:

Pilotis:

Brises-soleil:

Azuielo:

Curvilinear:

Site specific architecture:

How did Le Corbusier influence Oscar Niemeyer’s work?

How did Brasilidade and Estado Novo influence the architecture of Brazil?

 

Name _______________________ Date ____________________

Redesigning in the style of Niemeyer:

1. Working in a pair or team, choose a local building to recreate in the style of Oscar Niemeyer.

2. Discuss what the building’s purpose is, where it is currently located, and ways the present architecture of the building succeeds or fails aesthetically. Does it blend in with its surroundings? Is it a work of art? What could you do to make it more appealing or user friendly?

3. Consider the building information (from Step 2) and the key aspects of Niemeyer’s work (curvilinear forms in white concrete, use of natural surroundings to determine form, pilotis, and the use of environmentally-aware architectural forms such as brises-soleil and exterior mosaics). Each team member makes several sketches using the aesthetics.

4. Each member presents his/her ideas to the team (just as Niemeyer did working with the international team of architects for the United Nations). The team chooses the strongest design to be made into model.

5. Using the materials provided, build a mock-up scale model of the building. Be sure to create the surrounding environment as well, including trees, water elements, etc.

6. Prepare a report of your building.
* Identify your building and its purpose.
* Explain the ways you utilized Oscar Niemeyer’s aesthetics to redesign it.
* Compare and contrast the existing building with your design.

7. Present your building to the class as a team.