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  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 1

    Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas Brazil, 1953

    Oscar Niemeyer Annita Niemeyer - 1950

    Komarov S., (1975) Niemeyer O., (2000)

    Oscar Niemeyer Architecture The Curves Time the memoirs And Society of Oscar Niemeyer

    Oscar Niemeyer and his daughter Niemeyers house at Canoas Anna Maria 1930s http://www.architectenwerk.nl

    Niemeyer O., (2000) architectenpraktijk02/images /

    The Curves Time the memoirs /niemeyer1.jpg of Oscar Niemeyer

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 2

    Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida de Niemeyer Soares is a Brazilian architect, who was born in

    Rio de Janeiro on the 15th December 1907. His personal life and his career were deeply

    affected by the constant political shifts that Brazil was experiencing in the twentieth century.

    It can be said that the two factors, which defined Niemeyers life were architecture and politics.

    Niemeyer, who came from a bourgeois family, spent his childhood and his bohemian youth

    relatively comfortably and care-free during the days of the Old Republic. At this time Brazil

    was a country with constitutional democracy, dominated by minority of rich people who

    owned their wealth to coffee production and land ownership. During this time the young men

    was not concerned with either architecture or politics, but this was soon to change.

    In 1930 Oscar Niemeyer married his first wife Annita and he began to realize the responsibility (Niemeyer, 2000, p. 18) he had assumed (Niemeyer, 2000, p. 18) so he went to work at his fathers typography house and enrolled in the National School of Fine Arts with the intention of becoming a good architect (Niemeyer, 2000, p. 24). This choice marked an important shift in his life that occurred at the same time as a major shift in the countrys politics.

    The Great Depression had cracked the stability of the existing social order and the common

    trend for industrialization created suitable conditions for the emerging of new classes of

    workers and members of the military, who demanded a change in Brazils politics. The days of the Old Republic were over and Brazil was quickly moving into a new economic and

    political phase, during which the power of the land and coffee oligarchs rapidly decreased. This led to a revolution in 1930, which was defined by the rise of Getlio Dorneles Vargas

    as a political leader. Vargas spent over twenty years in politics and he often shifted his

    position and his ideologies. He was a senator, a president and a dictator and his politics

    circled around nationalism, populism, fascism and democracy, creating a very unstable

    political environment, in which the only constants were the aims for industrialization and a

    large scale urban planning.

    It was during the period of Vargass government that Niemeyer made his second major life choice. Despite his bourgeois upbringing, he decided to join the PCB (the communist party of

    Brazil). At the time Vargas had declared the party illegal and the young architect faced

    numerous threats, while he was carrying out his duties to the party selling the partys newspaper, distributing posters and banners and organizing meetings. However, at this point

    he did not have any troubles and his career advanced smoothly. It was only later that he faced

    the consequences of his political choices that included professional problems and twenty one

    years of voluntary exile in France.

    As mentioned above, politics was not the only important part of Niemeyers life. His architectural career was just as important and it developed at the time when Modernism was

    gaining popularity throughout the world and especially in Brazil. This gave Niemeyer endless

    opportunities to experiment with the new style and gain a reputation of being arguably the greatest living Modernist architect (Andreas P., B., et al ,2003, p.21). It all started, while Niemeyer was working in the office of Lucio Costa and Carlos Leao. It

    was there that Niemeyer first met Le Corbusier. They all worked on the design for the

    Ministry of Education and Health building, which was a turning point in the history of

    Modernism. In the book by Andreas et al (2003) it is stated that this was the first time

    Modernist architecture was used for a government building. So far it had only been applied to

    office and administration buildings in Germany as well as to domestic buildings for the

    intellectual elite in France. This book also suggests that the work on the Ministry of Education

    and Health building showed that Modernism could be transferred to different climate

    conditions and used for a wide range of buildings such as warehouses, council housing,

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 3

    factories and railway stations. This idea later on led Niemeyer to apply the new style to his

    own house at Canoas.

    Meeting Le Corbusier gave Niemeyer an insight to the architecture of one of the masters

    of Modernism. The exchange of ideas between them continued, when they worked together

    on the United Nations Headquarters in New York. By their second meeting Niemeyer had

    gained enough confidence to open his own office and walk his own way in the profession.

    Even though Niemeyer felt deep appreciation for Le Corbusiers work, the young architect had discovered that he was not attracted to the straight angles or to the straight line (Niemeyer, 2000, p.3), which he considered to be hard and inflexible (Niemeyer, 2000, p.3). Niemeyer needed to experiment and find out what exactly what his style was.

    The chance to do this was given to Niemeyer by Gustavo Capanema, who was then the

    Minister of Education and Health. Capanema introduced Niemeyer to Juscelino Kubitschek,

    who entrusted the young architect with two of his most important works the Pampulha project and Brasilia. It was the Pampulha project in Belo Horizonte, which became the

    generator of Niemeyers style and is considered as the beginning of his architectural career. He used it as a chance to experiment and challenge the monotony of contemporary architecture, the wave of misinterpreted functualism that hindered it, and the dogmas of form

    and function that had emerged (Niemeyer, 2000, p. 62) and to oppose his own view of the plastic freedom of reinforced concrete. He was keen on the curve-the liberated sensual curve (Niemeyer, 2000, p. 62) that was made possible by new technologies. These ideas became permanent features of his style and were fully integrated in the architecture of the

    Canoas house. It can be said that Niemeyer had found his path in architecture, which

    according to Le Corbusier was baroque,butvery well done ( Niemeyer, 2000, p.63). By 1953, when Niemeyer designed his house, apart from the Pampulha complex he had

    worked on various projects including the Brazillian Pavillion at the New York Worlds fair and had won several competitions. This helped him to gain reputation as an architect and

    achieve the financial security he needed to build his own house. He had also determined his

    ideologies in terms of society, politics and architecture and had formed a unique style, which

    he expressed to the full in the architecture of the house at Canoas, which in itself was a

    remarkable achievement of Modernist architecture.

    Niemeyer chose to build his house in Canoas, Barra da Tujica, which is a residential

    neighbourhood located in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The architect most likely chose

    this location, because the West Zone is reasonably quiet, which makes it perfect for a

    domestic dwelling. Another advantage of the location is the surrounding Tijuca Forest, which

    is a national park and is a fine example of Brazils incredibly beautiful nature. It is often referred to as the green spine of Rio de Janeiro and it accommodates hundreds of species of

    the flora and fauna of the country. By placing his house there, the architect ensured that his

    family and he will always be able to enjoy a wonderful view. One could see the beautiful hills

    above the beaches (without the annoyance of the crowds) and the tropical vegetation that

    surrounded the house, while still having all the benefits that living in the modern fast paced

    city offered. In this way Niemeyer managed to cleverly combine the urban with the

    countryside style of life.

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 4

    View from the Tijuca Forest Flower from the Tijuca Forest

    Source: http://www.unicerj.org.br/calendario/ Source: http://fotola.com/fotola/2005/

    Dez.jpg Feb/sobreiro420e62cf9653d-web.jpg

    This location resembles the settings in the Mendes area of Rio de Janeiro, where

    Niemeyer built a house for his father and often went to visit him and even spent his holidays

    there. It was a quiet place with a stream going though and extensive vegetation just like

    Canoas. In his memoirs (Niemeyer 2000, p.29) the architect remembers the joy that the

    privacy, the surrounding nature and the presence of his family gave him. Therefore looking at

    the place he chose to build his own home, it can be seen he was looking for the same

    atmosphere as in Mendes and he succeeded.

    The house at Canoas was surrounded by greenery from all sides and had a swimming

    pool at the front for the entertainment of the family. The winding paths in the gardens

    provided numerous routes for a walk and relaxing chat with family and visiting friends. The

    house itself had such a flowing shape that it was hard to distinguish it from the surroundings.

    An atmosphere of harmony and piece was created in there and the architect could enjoy the

    same simple pleasures as in Mendes. Furthermore, he could go back in the days when his wife

    and he went to the Botanical gardens regularly. The memories from this experience were

    vivid and he described them later on in his memoirs (Niemeyer, 2000, p.19): I loved to walk along the gravel paths and admire the lush tropical vegetation or look at the pond and the huge water lilies and everlastings blooming everywhere. It is curious how much this description resembles the landscape around Niemeyers own dwelling.

    View at the pool View from above

    http://www.aimeemoore.com/images/ Andreas P., B., et al (2003),

    Ncanoas008.jpg Oscar Niemeyer A Legend of Modernism

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 5

    View at the garden paths from the interior View from above

    Andreas P., B., et al (2003), Botey J. M., (1996), Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Niemeyer A Legend of Modernism Works and Projects

    It cannot be denied that the idea about integration between the building and the

    surroundings was one of the driving forces of the design. It was not just about creating a

    beautiful setting around the dwelling, the architect wanted to make the house a part of the

    landscape. This is why Niemeyer modeled the whole building around a large rock that was

    situated on the site and it was left there as the binding element of the whole project.

    The upper floor of the house, which was defined by the means of Modernist architecture -

    glass skin, concrete slab and steel, waved around the rock, incorporating half of it in the

    interior and leaving the other half to freely flow into the pool outside. This created a strong

    unity between the outside and the inside, the natural and the artificial. The result was a design

    that was Modernist in nature but which contradicted Modernism on one of its main points

    about creating universal and reproducible architecture, which is disconnected from the site.

    View of the rock from the inside.

    Andreas P., B., et al (2003), Oscar Niemeyer A Legend of Modernism

    In the book by Andreas P., B., et al (2003), it says that after a visit Walter Gropius inquired

    about the possibility of duplicating this house to which Niemeyer answered that it was only

    the intellectual freedom to reinterpret the theme that can be reproduced. In this way Niemeyer

    unconsciously set the attention of Modernism on domestic architecture despite his own

    conviction as a communist that housing should be the same for everyone and thus it cannot

    not be considered as a distinct aim or opportunity for Modernist architecture.

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 6

    Continuing on the issue of the site specific house a few more linking elements need to be

    mentioned. In order to minimize the visual separation between architecture and nature,

    Niemeyer wrapped the living room in a skin of glass that allowed the interior to blend with

    the exterior. Another trick was arranging the house according to the terrain. The lower floor is

    tucked into the existing slope thus creating the feeling that the house is following the contours

    of the site. This concept is reinforced by the flowing shape of the concrete roof, which blends

    with the shape of the surrounding hills. This idea originated from the roof of the Dance Hall,

    which Niemeyer designed in Pampulha. There the structure followed the outlines of the

    island, on which the building stood.

    The Dance Hall in Pampulha Niemeyers house Andreas P., B., et al (2003), Botey J. M., (1996), Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Niemeyer A Legend of Modernism Works and Projects

    Section of the house

    Komarov S., (1975), Oscar Niemeyer Architecture and Society

    As it can be seen this remarkable integration between the building and the landscape was

    achieved regardless of the use of artificial materials concrete, steel and glass, that were usually associated with the high rise man made environment of the big cities. This emphasizes

    the mastery that Niemeyer possessed over form, making it the dominant mediator between the

    man made and the natural thus eliminating the need to use stone, wood or some other natural

    material.

    However, Niemeyers house was an innovation in Modernism not only in the context of architectural approach and landscape integration but also in the context of technology. The

    first noticeable feature is the free flowing horizontal concrete roof, which as explained above,

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 7

    derived its characteristics from the Dance Hall in Pampuha. The roof is quite thin so that it

    does not look too heavy over the glass skin of the living room and rests on small steel

    supports. This elegant structure projects over the glass skin and slopes slightly in order to

    provide sun protection, which is extremely important in a tropical country such as Brazil. This

    innovative technological solution works in combination with the vast amount of vegetation

    around the house, in order to provide more shade. In this way climate consideration was

    brought into the palette of techniques used by Modernism.

    View towards the exterior

    Botey J. M., (1996), Oscar Niemeyer Works and Projects

    Another technological challenge was to wrap the first floor in glass. The glass walls were structurally free as the roof was supported on steel columns placed both on the inside and on

    the outside, depending on the roof curvature and the structural needs of the building. In order

    to achieve the flowing form of the walls, that did not always follow the shape of roof, glass panels of various sizes were used. These panels had to create curves and also had to wrap

    around the rock, making the task even more difficult.

    On one side this method created a feeling of lightness and openness but on the other side

    there was the danger that the occupants would feel exposed at night when the lights were on.

    This is why the private part of the house that accommodated the bedrooms, was positioned

    into the slope of the terrain. It is referred to as the lower floor and the space there feels

    enclosed, private and secured by the surrounding mass of soil. An interesting prism like

    windows ensured that enough daylight entered the bedrooms and that they were properly

    ventilated, while still protecting the privacy of the occupants. The problem with letting light

    in the bathrooms was also originally solved they were lit through concrete grids used as skylights.

    A window at the lower floor

    Botey J. M., (1996), Oscar Niemeyer Works and Projects

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 8

    The difference between the two floors did not consist only of a difference in location (on top

    and into the terrain) but also in the shape and layout of the spaces. The first floor was

    liberated and flowing, while the second was cellular and ordered.

    The first floor accommodates all the living areas that the family shares. It has a free oval

    shape and it is symbolically connected to the exterior and the lower floor through the use of

    the rock.

    The openness of the first floor has already been discussed. The achieved effect is due to

    the choice of a glass skin as the main construction element for the walls. The curved shape

    just strengthens the impression. However, the architect did not stop only at the shape and

    material of the walls. The interior of the house is also open. The living and dining areas flow

    into each other, forming a large free space that takes about two thirds of the whole floor area.

    The rest of the floor accommodates the kitchen, a toilet and the staircase leading to the lower

    floor. These rooms along with the rock on the other side of the staircase form a cellular

    layout. However, those closed spaces are pushed to one side so that they do not interfere with

    the plastic freedom of the living spaces.

    Upper Floor Plan

    Komarov S., (1975), Oscar Niemeyer Architecture and Society

    1. Living area 2. Living area /Guest room 3. Dining area

    4. Kitchen 5. Toilet 6.Rock 7. Swimming pool

    There are three entrances to the house that lead to three different areas. The first one is at

    the front side of the house where the pool is. This entrance takes the visitor into the living

    area. As it was already mentioned, this is a large open space (the largest in the house in fact),

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 9

    which provides multiple views of the garden due to the glass walls. There are only a few

    pieces of furniture and they have all been pushed to the wall as to take less space. In this way

    this part of the interior does not feel as an inside but rather as an extension to the outside, where the freedom of motion is unlimited and the obstruction to the view is minimal. This

    effect is made even more obvious by positioning a second door on the opposite side of the

    house in a diagonal direction. It is almost as if the house is just a passage and not a permanent

    dwelling. There is a kind of axis being formed, which directs people to go through the house

    and continue their walk out in the open.

    The second entrance, as described above is on the opposite wall of the first one. It is a

    sliding door that leads to a cozy corner, defined by a curved wall. The dining table is

    positioned in this corner and there is a view of the other side of the garden. There is a close

    connection between the dining area, the toilet and the kitchen, which makes the circulation,

    associated with the everyday meals of the family, easier. There is also minimal distance

    between those spaces and they work efficiently.

    The third entrance is connected to the kitchen. The separate access makes the kitchen

    very independent things can be taken in and out without interrupting the rest of the house. The kitchen can also be extra ventilated, without creating unwanted smells in the living areas.

    To emphasize this, the architect even positioned the cooker next to the door on the plan.

    The connection between the upper and the lower floor is a staircase, which is carved into

    the rock, which in turn provides the connection between the interior and the exterior.

    Therefore this is a key space within the house. It is designed in such a way that after having

    climbed up the stairs from the floor below, the person arrives at a very concise space,

    enclosed between the rock, the kitchen and the curved wall. This small volume opens up to

    the large living space, thus forcing the person to go there. On the other hand, when going

    down, this small space draws the person in, thus controlling the motion in the opposite

    direction. Either way, the transition is always smooth.

    Lower Floor Plan

    Komarov S., (1975), Oscar Niemeyer Architecture and Society

    2. Living area/Guest room 8. Bedroom 9. Bath

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 10

    At the lower floor the person faces a completely different atmosphere. This is the private

    part of the house, which accommodates the bedrooms. The floor is strictly subdivided by

    straight walls and every free space is utilized by a wardrobe or a desk. On one side there are

    two similar bedrooms with a bathroom in the middle, which is a classical arrangement for the

    kids bedrooms in a house. In the corridor, between the two rooms, there is a desk that supposedly can be used for doing homework. Right next to them is the master bedroom,

    which is bigger and connected to a separate bathroom, thus applying another common

    solution for a domestic dwelling. In this way all the family members have a degree of privacy.

    The opposite end of the lower floor is taken by another bedroom with a bathroom next to it.

    This independent arrangement is suitable for guests or any member of the family who wants

    to be independent within the communal life in the house. This room along with the master

    bedroom shares the only curved wall on this floor (excluding the curved wall of the masters bathroom, which will be discussed later). As both rooms are meant to accommodate people

    who are fully aware of their individuality and the need of extra privacy, it is natural that they

    share this quirkiness of the house. This feature enhances their private spaces and invites them to incorporate it into their individual style.

    The area between the bedrooms acts as a connection not only between them, but also

    between the upper and the lower floor. It has that flowing character, which is defined by the

    unusual shape of the room and the curvature of the wall of the master bathroom and the

    external wall. Thus the people going down the stairs are provided with a smooth transition

    between the open (the public upper floor) and the enclosed (the private lower floor). It is also

    because of this flowing nature, that the space is immediately identified as a communal area,

    which is free ad open for everybodys individuality and is already familiar because of the flowing nature of the communal spaces on the upper floor.

    However, the difference between the upper and the lower floor is not fully described just

    by the opposing nature of free - flowing and enclosed defined. There is a difference in the purpose as well, which is not exhausted by the separation between public and private. The

    first floor is obviously made especially for the Niemeyers family and bears Niemeyers individual preferences. Even the furniture is designed by the architect with the help of his

    daughter Anna Maria. However, the lower floor is a standard layout for a typical family with

    two kids but in Niemeyers case there is only one kid his daughter Anna Maria and at the time he lived at Canoas she already had her own life. Therefore the arrangement of the lower

    floor probably represented the architects idea about the future, when the house would often serve to accommodate his grandchildren when they visited.

    There is one last feature of Niemeyers style that is incorporated in the house and needs to be mentioned and this is the integration between architecture and art. This was a tradition that

    was followed by Niemeyers friend Gustavo Capanema, who detailed the finishings, the colours of the walls, and the furniture (Nemeyer, 2000, p.26) of his buildings. Even works of art were brought in at the right stage (Nemeyer, 2000, p.26). The reason behind this was to promote Brazilian creativity and culture. Niemeyer adopted this idea and throughout his

    career he not only designed sculptural buildings, but he also insisted for the right sculptures

    and paintings to go with them. In the case of his house the architect had sculptures by his

    friend Alfredo Ceschiatti. The artist reflected the liberated and plastic curves of Niemeyers architecture into the sensual curves of the female bodies, which were placed around the pool.

    In conclusion it can be said that even though Niemeyers house at Canoas possesses qualities such as flat, thin roof and full height glass, typical for some famous modernist

    houses such as Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House and Philip Johnson's Glass House, its

    plastic curves and strong connection with the site, make it a phenomenon in the history of

    Modernism.

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 11

    The house at Canoas represents Oscar Niemeyers style in its every aspect, the style, which he himself defines like this:

    I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinousness of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the

    beloved woman. Curves make up the entire Universe, the curved Universe of Einstein ( Niemeyer, 2000, p.3)

    And it is this individuality and character that make the Canoas house so thrilling.

    Mies van der Rohe - Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1951

    Source: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/chicago/jpgs/farnsworth_house_gmad06_6.jpg

    Philip Johnson - Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1949

    Source: http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2007/glass_house/glass_house_1.jpg

    Oscar Niemeyer Canoas House, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1953

    Source:http://picasaweb.google.com/sahil.latheef/20070102BrazilTripSalvadorRioDeJaneiro

    AndSaoPaulo/photo#5034764057329786930

  • ARC 203a Assignment Oscar Niemeyers House in Canoas, Brazil, 1953

    Student number 060194356 12

    Bibliography

    Books

    Andreas P., B., et al (2003), Oscar Niemeyer A Legend of Modernism, Berlin, Birkhuser Publishers for Architecure

    Botey J. M., (1996), Oscar Niemeyer Works and Projects, trans. G. Thompson, Barcelona, Gustavo Gili.

    Komarov S., (1975), Oscar Niemeyer Architecture and Society, trans. N. Konstantinov, Moscow, Progress Publishers

    Papadaki S., (1960), Oscar Niemeyer, London, Mayflower Publishing Company Limited

    Niemeyer O., (2000), The Curves of Time the memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer, London, Phaidon Press Limited

    Websites

    http://www.architectenwerk.nl/architectenpraktijk02/images /niemeyer1.jpg

    http://www.unicerj.org.br/calendario/ Dez.jpg

    http://fotola.com/fotola/2005/ Feb/sobreiro420e62cf9653d-web.jpg

    http://www.aimeemoore.com/images/ ONcanoas008.jpg

    http://www.e-architect.co.uk/chicago/jpgs/farnsworth_house_gmad06_6.jpg

    http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2007/glass_house/glass_house_1.jpg

    http://picasaweb.google.com/sahil.latheef/20070102BrazilTripSalvadorRioDeJaneiroAndSao

    Paulo/photo#5034764057329786930


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