Museum of Modern Art, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil Pics taken from bbc site
I will take a wild guess at why Oscar Niemeyer, perhaps the worlds most famous living architect, and a bona fide Brazilian, is still going at 103. It is the cold mate that he drinks on the daily. Seriously folks, mate is very beneficial for your health, just ask Oscar Neimeyer. 
Ok so the man just turned 103 years old, and to celebrate he christened a new museum in Rio de Janeiro. A museum, rather coincidentally, that he himself designed! Who would of thought! The Oscar Niemeyer Foundation houses drawings and models from the modern architect’s 70-year career. His most famous works include Brazil’s futuristic capital, Brasilia, as well as the UN building in New York. My favorites are the Church in the Lagoa da Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, the Museum of Modern Art in Niteroi and the highway linking Barra to Leblon in Rio, so cool. He also just opened up another museum in Spain. The man keeps going and going and going!
The Church in Pampulha Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Seems the curves of Brazilian women can inspire even the construction of a church. I wonder if Gaudi was also inspired by women's curves
It is said that Oscar is inspired by the beautiful curves of Brazilian women. True, they are very inspiring. His use of concrete is probably a more practical decision; one based on the modernist chic of the 50s and its malleability as building material. His own house, a wicked villa of the 1950s is ever so inspiring and the envy of many a designer today.
So how does a 103 year old man design impressive buildings & museums? While a badass young enthusist in his day, my guess is that nowadays he probably grabs a napkin from the table where he drinks his máte, scribbles a few curves and awkward lines. He then shouts at one of his talented assistants: “Venha cá!” (Come here!) He then hands him the napkin and says: “Isso e um museu!” (This is a museum). The talented assistant then goes back to his team of even more talented architects and engineers, and they make some magic happen. Oscar gets ‘em cash and they rework the kinks. Then Oscar shows up and says “Muito bom” or “Ta uma merda!” Of course this whole scenario is pure speculation but its a very well informed guess.
the seat of government in Brasilia where the sky seems to touch the ground, the dome is the senate and the saucer the house of deputies.
What does not come into question is the genius of this man. Let me end this post with one of my favorite things about this man. He has repeatedly said that he thinks Brasilia was built too quickly (in four years). Just 4 years after it was built, the right wing Brazilian Generals deposed the government of and took control of the state. Niemeyer, a communist, went into self-imposed exile in France for 16 years. I heard from some people that when asked what he missed most about Brazil, he said: “the sun, my friends and family, the curves of the Brazilian women, and the máte, yes, the máte…”
Alex Bordokas
