Renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer passed away on December 5, at 104 years of age, in Rio de Janeiro; he left his mark in the Algarve too.
Niemeyer was considered one of the 20th century’s most influential modernist architects, having revolutionised the use of concrete and the curved line.
The architect first had contact with Portugal in 1965, when he was commissioned to carry out an architectural project for the Algarve – the Empreendimento Turístico de Pena Furada, a tourist complex that was planned to be located north of Vila do Bispo, near the sea.
The project was never implemented but its plans were written and drawn by hand by Niemeyer, and signed on March 14 1966 in Rio de Janeiro.
The architect had said at the time: “The project we present is adapted to Pena Furada’s topography, taking advantage of the surprising contrasts offered by that location. We avoided the hilly areas (…) and tried to prevent that the project occupied too much area, which would take away the beauty of the location.”
Niemeyer collaborated with Portuguese architect Viana de Lima on the project. He explained: “From an architectural point of view, our intention was to find a solution that while expressing contemporary technique could be in harmony with the local nature and architecture.”
In 2003, Niemeyer was chosen to design the annual temporary pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery, the art gallery located in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, in Central London.
