In this first English-language edition of Oscar Niemeyer´s memoirs, the architect reveals how his many passions have influenced his life and in turn inspired his architecture. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Niemeyer graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in 1934. As a student he worked in the office of Lucio Costa, and on graduation he began collaborating with Le Corbusier on a new Ministry of Education and Health Building in Rio. Yet in contrast to the International Style, Niemeyer´s curvilinear forms reflected Brazil´s lush, undulating landscape and the emotive style of itsmusic and dance. Here Niemeyer recounts his life in an informal, fluid narrativethat moves from his childhood in Rio to friendships with intellectuals and politicians such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Fidel Castro, to tales of adventurous road trips. The book includes forty sketches by Niemeyer executed specially for these memoirs, a chronology of his life and career, notes and an index.
