Of course, I have given my engineers some headaches over the years, but they go with me. I have always wanted my buildings to be as light as possible, to touch the ground gently, to swoop and soar, and to surprise. Oscar Niemeyer More Quotes by Oscar Niemeyer More Quotes From Oscar Niemeyer We hated Bauhaus. It was a bad time in architecture. They just didn’t have any talent. All they had were rules. Even for knives and forks they created rules. Picasso would never have accepted rules. The house is like a machine? No! The mechanical is ugly. The rule is the worst thing. You just want to break it. Oscar Niemeyer knives machines house We need to feel that life is important; we need that fantasy so we can live a little better. Oscar Niemeyer important littles needs I have always accepted and respected all other schools of architecture, from the chill and elemental structures of Mies van der Rohe to the imagination and delirium of Gaudi. I must design what pleases me in a way that is naturally linked to my roots and the country of my origin. Oscar Niemeyer please-me country school Life is very fleeting. It’s important to be gentle and optimistic. We look behind and think what we’ve done in this life has been good. It was simple; it was modest. Everyone creates their own story and moves on. That’s it. I don’t feel particularly important. What we create is not important. We’re very insignificant. Oscar Niemeyer optimistic simple moving Architecture was my way of expressing my ideals: to be simple, to create a world equal to everyone, to look at people with optimism, that everyone has a gift. I don’t want anything but general happiness. Why is that bad? Oscar Niemeyer optimism simple people There is no reason to design buildings that are more basic and rectilinear, because with concrete you can cover almost any space. Oscar Niemeyer building design space Right angles don't attract me. Nor straight, hard and inflexible lines created by man. Oscar Niemeyer angle lines men Surprise is key in all art. Oscar Niemeyer surprise keys art The artistic capability of reinforced concrete is so fantastic - that is the way to go. Oscar Niemeyer fantastic artistic way Architecture is my work, and Ive spent my whole life at a drawing board, but life is more important than architecture. What matters is to improve human beings. Oscar Niemeyer drawing what-matters important I deliberately disregarded the right angle and rationalist architecture designed with ruler and square to boldly enter the world of curves and straight lines offered by reinforced concrete... This deliberate protest arose from the environment in which I lived, with its white beaches, its huge mountains, its old baroque churches, and the beautiful suntanned women. Oscar Niemeyer squares beautiful beach I had some good opportunities. I was lucky to have had the chance to do things differently. Architecture is about surprise. Oscar Niemeyer lucky chance opportunity I search for surprise in my architecture. A work of art should cause the emotion of newness. Oscar Niemeyer causes emotion art The challenge of a cathedral is very good for architectural inventiveness. Oscar Niemeyer cathedrals very-good challenges A church is something very beautiful. It is nice when people feel happy in it. But I am not a religious man. Look at us, and then at the infinity of space. We are rather small insignificant creatures, wouldn’t you say? Oscar Niemeyer nice religious beautiful When students leave college, they are like children who know nothing about the problems of life, and don't have a political stance. Oscar Niemeyer political college children For me beauty is valued more than anything - the beauty that is manifest in a curved line or in an act of creativity. Oscar Niemeyer manifest creativity lines Turning 102 is crap, and there is nothing to commemorate. Oscar Niemeyer crap When I was very little my mother said I used to draw in the air with my fingers. I needed a pencil. Once I could hold one, I have drawn every day since. Oscar Niemeyer mother air littles I enter my studio at 9 a.m. I have lunch here, I return right away to my work and I go out to dinner at 8 p.m. My daily tasks vary very much. Oscar Niemeyer daily-tasks dinner lunch
