The Curves of Time

Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, born in 1907, is one of the architectural masters of the twentieth century and a pioneer of modernism. Known primarily for his collaboration with Le Corbusier and his projects for Pampulha and the visionary Brazilian capital, Brasilia, Niemeyer has designed hundreds of remarkable buildings and master plans during his six-decade career. His experimentation with reinforced concrete produced curved, organic forms that marked an innovative departure from the rectilinear austerity of European modernism. Niemeyer was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects in 1963, and he was awarded the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 1988 and the RIBA Gold Medal in 1998 in honor of his outstanding contributions to architecture.
In this autobiography, Niemeyer reveals that philosophy, politics, and his many passions - including his large family, many friends, the sensuous land and open skies of Brazil, the female body, art and literature - have formed the key to his architecture and to his vibrant life. This volume includes notes identifying the people and places cited in the narrative, a chronology of Niemeyer's career, a selection of archival photographs, and forty sketches created by Niemeyer especially for this book.