1907 - 2012

Oscar Niemeyer died aged 104 in his home city of Rio de Janiero on 5 December 2012. See the RIBA's tribute| to the late Modernist architect, including a gallery| of some of his most iconic work and a video of Niemeyer talking about his life in architecture.

1998 - RGM winner

 

Now a centurion, Oscar Niemeyer, the man who taught le Corbusier a thing or two with his improvements to his designs for the UN Headquarters, is still hard at work in his studio overlooking Copacabana beach more than a decade after RIBA President David Rock travelled to present the award at a civic reception in Rio de Janeiro. When told that he was to receive the Royal Gold Medal, Niemeyer said, 'I am very happy, I have spent my entire life at the drawing board, just thinking about architecture.'

 

The citation included the following paragraphs: 'Niemeyer has come to be admired by a whole new generation of architectural students and architects, who recognise the inspirational qualities his generation can provide. At 90 he represents one of the last links with the founding members of the Modern Movement, having worked in 1936 with Le Corbusier on designs for the Ministry of Health and Education building in Rio de Janeiro. The collaboration was to be continued between 1947 and 1952 when they worked on the United Nations Building in New York. But he is best known in Europe for his buildings in Brasilia, where he worked with masterplanner Lúcio Costa.

 

 

'As a communist for most of his working life, he went into voluntary exile in Europe in 1964, following a right-wing coup. In France he built the headquarters of the French Communist Party (1966) and the Cultural Centre at Le Havre (1972).

 

'He returned to Brazil in 1970 to produce one of his most daring structures: the Museum of Contemporary Art, a characteristic inverted dome balanced on a cliff at Niterói close to the sea entrance to Rio.'

 

'In 2003, he finally fulfilled his desire to build in the UK, albeit with a temporary pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery in London.'

'His buildings express beauty, elegance, daring, innovation and function. He has striven to embody a vision of architecture as inspired structure, and has collaborated closely with engineers in order to bring this about.'