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143-485: The Sambódromo was commissioned in 1983 and completed in 1984. It is one of two works designed by Oscar Niemeyer upon his return to Brazil after exile during the Brazilian dictatorship of 1964–1985. The democratic election of regional governors, notably in the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1982, signaled a return to civilian rule and renewed work for artists whose work was suppressed by the regime. Governor Leonel Brizola ,

286-407: A Lenten sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide . Many Christians attend special Ash Wednesday church services at which churchgoers receive ash on their foreheads or the top of their heads, as the wearing of ashes was a sign of repentance in biblical times. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice, in which the placement of ashes is accompanied by

429-616: A draftsman for local architectural firms. In the 1930s, he interned with Lúcio Costa , with the pair collaborating on the design for the Palácio Gustavo Capanema in Rio de Janeiro. Niemeyer's first major project was a series of buildings for Pampulha , a planned suburb north of Belo Horizonte . His work, especially on the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi , received critical acclaim and drew international attention. Throughout

572-457: A "sculptor of monuments", Niemeyer was hailed as a great artist and one of the greatest architects of his generation by his supporters. He said his architecture was strongly influenced by Le Corbusier , but in an interview, assured that this "didn't prevent [his] architecture from going in a different direction". Niemeyer was most famous for his use of abstract forms and curves and wrote in his memoirs: I am not attracted to straight angles or to

715-463: A completely different Brazil. In March President João Goulart , who succeeded President Jânio Quadros in 1961, was deposed in a military coup. General Castelo Branco assumed command of the country, which would remain a dictatorship until 1985. In 1987, Brasília was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Niemeyer is the first person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime. Niemeyer's politics cost him during

858-460: A consultant. Though Niemeyer was not initially part of the team, Costa agreed to accept him after Niemeyer insisted. During the period of Le Corbusier's stay in Rio, he was appointed to help the master with his drafts, which allowed him a close contact with the Swiss. After his departure, Niemeyer's significant changes to Corbusier's scheme impressed Costa, who allowed him to progressively take charge of

1001-533: A different day from the previously mentioned denominations, as its date is determined from the Orthodox calculation of Pascha , which may be as much as a month later than the Western observance of Easter. Many Lent-observing denominations emphasize making a Lenten sacrifice , as well as fasting and abstinence during the season of Lent , particularly on Ash Wednesday. The First Council of Nicaea spoke of Lent as

1144-515: A different treatment to that space without the need for two separate structural systems as Corbusier had done in Marseille. Its use in a typical urban context was formalistic and even compromised the building's structural logic in that it required many different sized supports. Berlin's 1957 Interbau exhibition gave Niemeyer the chance to build an example of his architecture in Germany along with

1287-560: A famous architect, who has never previously built in the UK, to design this temporary structure. He was still involved in diverse projects at the age of 100, mainly sculptures and adjustments of previous works. On Niemeyer's 100th birthday, Russia's president Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship . Grateful for the Prince of Asturias Award of Arts received in 1989, he collaborated on

1430-628: A gigantic free form marquee, had to be simplified due to cost. The resulting buildings were less interesting individually, which meant that the ensemble effect became the dominant aesthetic experience. Niemeyer developed V-shaped pilotis for the project, which became fashionable for a time. A variation on that theme was the W-shaped piloti which supports the Governador Juscelino Kubitschek housing complex (1951), two large buildings containing around 1,000 apartments. Its design

1573-519: A longtime Niemeyer associate, commissioned the Sambadrome to reflect socialismo moreno , or multicultural socialism. Niemeyer worked closely with vice-governor Darcy Ribeiro (1922–1997), a Brazilian anthropologist , on the location and building concept. The Sambadrome was not only to function as the centerpiece of the Rio Carnival, but also house a primary school with 115 classrooms underneath

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1716-584: A meal because in place of that meal, I'm dining with God". Members of the Moravian Church may voluntarily fast during the season of Lent, along with making a Lenten sacrifice for the season as a form of penitence. Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter. Easter is determined as the Sunday following the first full moon that happens on or after the March equinox (which is always 21 March). Lent

1859-467: A microcosm of the diverse population of the city. Its horizontality, which is emphasized by the concrete brise-soleil, together with the fact that it was a residential building made it an interesting approach to popular housing, given that in the 1950s suburbanization had begun and city centres were being occupied primarily by business, usually occupying vertical "masculine" buildings, as opposed to Niemeyer's "feminine" approach. In 1954 Niemeyer also designed

2002-402: A period of fasting for forty days in advance of Easter, although it is unclear whether the prescribed fast applied to all Christians, or specifically to new Christians preparing to be baptized . Whatever the council's original intent, this forty-day fast came into wide practice throughout the church. While starting a Lenten sacrifice on Ash Wednesday (e.g. giving up watching television), it

2145-399: A preset amount of time (75 minutes) to parade from one end of the Sambadrome to the other with all its thousands of dancers, its drum section, and a number of floats. Each school has its own unique qualities according to its own traditions. Schools are graded by a jury, and the competition is ferocious. On Ash Wednesday ( quarta-feira de cinzas ), grades are gathered and one school is declared

2288-556: A region where only cattle ranching then existed. Niemeyer and Costa used it to test new concepts of city planning: streets without transit, buildings floating off the ground supported by columns and allowing the space underneath to be free and integrated with nature. The project adopted a socialist ideology: in Brasília all the apartments would be owned by the government and rented to employees. Brasília did not have "nobler" regions, meaning that top ministers and common laborers would share

2431-479: A respiratory infection prior to his death. The BBC 's obituary of Niemeyer stated that he "built some of the world's most striking buildings – monumental, curving concrete and glass structures which almost defy description", describing him as "one of the most innovative and daring architects of the last 60 years". The Washington Post said he was "widely regarded as the foremost Latin American architect of

2574-617: A sheer rock face, offering a view of Guanabara Bay and the city of Rio de Janeiro. Niemeyer maintained his studio in Rio de Janeiro into the 21st century. In 2002, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum complex was inaugurated in the city of Curitiba , Paraná. In 2003, at 96, Niemeyer was called to design the Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion in Hyde Park , London, a gallery that each year invites

2717-421: A similar solemn ceremony outside of Mass. The Book of Blessings contains a simple rite. While the solemn rite would normally be carried out within a church building, the simple rite could appropriately be used almost anywhere. While only a priest or deacon may bless the ashes, laypeople may do the placing of the ashes on a person's head. Even in the solemn rite, laymen or women may assist the priest in distributing

2860-426: A simplification, discarding multiple elements such as brises, sculptural piloti and marquees. His architecture from then on would be a pure expression of structure as a representation of solid volumes. His design method would also change, prioritizing aesthetic impact over programmatic functions, given that for him "when form creates beauty, it has in beauty itself its justification". In 1955, at 48, Niemeyer designed

3003-431: A spot as a dancer in one of the parade groups. 22°54′43″S 43°11′47″W  /  22.91194°S 43.19639°W  / -22.91194; -43.19639 chicken Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer ( Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈoskaʁ ni.eˈmajeʁ] ), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of

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3146-520: A stoplight to change. The Anglican priest Emily Mellott of Calvary Church in Lombard took up the idea and turned it into a movement, stated that the practice was also an act of evangelism . Anglicans and Catholics in parts of the United Kingdom such as Sunderland , are offering Ashes to Go together: Marc Lyden-Smith, the priest of Saint Mary's Church , stated that the ecumenical effort

3289-657: A stoplight to change." In 2013, churches not only in the United States but also at least one church each in the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa, participated in Ashes to Go. Outside of their church building , Saint Stephen Martyr Lutheran Church in Canton offered Ashes to Go for "believers whose schedules make it difficult to attend a traditional service" in 2016. In the United States itself 34 states and

3432-512: A strong biblical base for fasting, particularly during the 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter. Jesus, as part of his spiritual preparation, went into the wilderness and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, according to the Gospels. Rev. Jacqui King, the minister of Nu Faith Community United Methodist Church in Houston explained the philosophy of fasting during Lent as "I'm not skipping

3575-430: A typical urban site, Niemeyer adopted creative solutions to enliven the otherwise monolithic high rise, thus challenging the predominant solidity which was the norm for bank buildings. The glazed south façade (with least insulation) reflects the 19th century Candelária Church , showing Niemeyer's sensitivity to the surroundings and older architecture. Such austere designs to high rises within urban grids can also be seen in

3718-562: A typical young Carioca of the time: bohemian and relatively unconcerned with his future. In 1928, at age 21, Niemeyer left school (Santo Antonio Maria Zaccaria priory school) and married Annita Baldo, daughter of Italian immigrants from Padua . He pursued his passion at the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro ( Escola Nacional de Belas Artes ) and graduated with a BA in architecture in 1934. After graduating, he worked in his father's typography house. Even though he

3861-562: A voluntary observance. The Reformed Church in America , for example, describes Ash Wednesday as a day "focused on prayer, fasting, and repentance." The liturgy for Ash Wednesday thus contains the following "Invitation to Observe a Lenten Discipline" read by the presider: We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and our need for the love and forgiveness shown to us in Jesus Christ. I invite you, therefore, in

4004-689: A weekend house for his father, in Mendes (1949), developed from a chicken coop, the Prudente de Morais Neto house, in Rio (1943–49), based on Niemeyer's original design for Kubitschek's house in Pampulha, a house for Gustavo Capanema (1947) (the minister who commissioned the Ministry of Education and Health building), the Leonel Miranda house (1952), featuring two spiral ramps which provide access to

4147-484: Is 40 days long, not including Sundays. According to the calendar, that means the season is 46 days long overall. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (in the Moravian Church , Lutheran Church , Anglican Church , Methodist Church , Reformed Churches { Continental Reformed , Presbyterian and Congregationalist }, Western Rite Orthodox Church , and United Protestant Churches ) or at

4290-688: Is a "tremendous witness in our city, with Catholics and Anglicans working together to start the season of Lent, perhaps reminding those who have fallen away from the Church, or have never been before, that the Christian faith is alive and active in Sunderland." The Catholic Student Association of Kent State University , based at the University Parish Newman Center, offered ashes to university students who were going through

4433-421: Is considered to be the 1953 Canoas House Niemeyer built for himself. The house is located on sloped terrain overlooking the ocean from afar. It comprises two floors, the first of which is under a free form roof, supported on thin metallic columns. The living quarters is located on the floor below and is more traditionally divided. The design takes advantage of the uneven terrain so that the house seems not to disturb

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4576-400: Is covered by Azulejos by Portinari and tile murals by Paulo Werneck. It led to the church being seen as baroque . Though some European purists condemned its formalism, the fact that the form's idea was directly linked to a logical, structural reason placed the building in the 20th century, while refusing to break completely from the past. Due to its importance in the history of architecture,

4719-604: Is credited to Pope Gregory I the Great (c. 540–604), although this is probably incorrect since Ash Wednesday was not part of Lent in his time. In the 1969 missal of the Roman Rite , an alternative formula (based on Mark 1 :15) was introduced and given first place "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" and the older formula was translated as "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The old formula, based on

4862-659: Is customary to pray for strength to keep it through the whole season of Lent; many often wish others to do so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice." In many places, Christians historically abstained from food for a whole day until the evening, and at sunset, Western Christians traditionally broke the Lenten fast, which is often known as the Black Fast . In India and Pakistan , many Christians continue this practice of fasting until sunset on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, with some fasting in this manner throughout

5005-423: Is observed by fasting , abstinence from meat (which begins at age 14 according to canon law 1252 ), and repentance . On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday , Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59, whose health enables them to fast, are permitted to consume one full meal, along with two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations put forth by

5148-672: The Black Eyed Peas , Pearl Jam , Elton John , Coldplay , Whitney Houston , Avril Lavigne , Britney Spears , Justin Bieber , Iron Maiden , Radiohead , Hillsong , Jonas Brothers , Nirvana , A-ha , Janet Jackson , Bon Jovi , David Bowie , the Rolling Stones , Marshmello , David Guetta , Hardwell , Martin Garrix , DJ Snake , Alok and many more. In December, the samba schools begin holding technical rehearsals at

5291-779: The Evangelical Covenant Church , and some Mennonites . The Moravian Church and Metropolitan Community Churches observe Ash Wednesday. Churches in the United Protestant tradition, such as the Church of North India , the United Church of Christ (USA) and United Church of Canada honour Ash Wednesday too. Some Independent Catholics , and the Community of Christ also observe it. Reformed churches and Baptists have historically not observed Ash Wednesday, nor Lent in general, due to

5434-542: The Imperial Palm ( Roystonea oleracea ), known as the Brazilian order; further allusions to the icons of the Brazilian landscape; and specially commissioned works by Brazilian artists. This building is considered by some architects as one of the most influential of the 20th century. It was taken as a model on how to blend low- and high-rise structures ( Lever House ). In 1939, at age 32, Niemeyer and Costa designed

5577-766: The Mondadori publishing company. In Funchal on Madeira , he designed a casino. While in Paris, Niemeyer began designing furniture that was produced by Mobilier International. He created an easy chair and ottoman composed of bent steel and leather in limited numbers for private clients. Later, in 1978, this chair and other designs, including the "Rio" chaise-longue were produced in Brazil by Tendo company, then Tendo Brasileira. The easy chairs and ottomans were made of bent wood and were placed in Communist party headquarters around

5720-551: The Museum of Modern Art in Caracas . The design of this museum was the material realization of his work revision. Meant to rise from the top of a cliff overlooking central Caracas , the museum had an inverted pyramid shape which dominated and overpowered its surroundings. The opaque prismatic building had almost no connection to the outside through its walls, although its glass ceiling allowed natural light to enter. An electronic system

5863-663: The Neocolonial movement , realized that the advances of the International Style in Europe were the way forward for architecture. His writings on the insights that could unite Brazil's traditional colonial architecture (such as that in Olinda ) with modernist principles would be the basis of the architecture that he and his contemporaries, such as Affonso Eduardo Reidy , would later realize. In 1936, at 29, Lúcio Costa

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6006-550: The Painting toward architecture book included an illustration of Niemeyer's design, and in an associated 28-venue exhibition, Burle-Marx's Design for a garden (1948) was exhibited in several shows, as was a photo mural of Church at Pampulha. Niemeyer produced very few designs for the United States because his affiliation to the Communist Party usually prevented him from obtaining a visa. This happened in 1946 when he

6149-667: The Pantheon ( Panteão da Pátria e da Liberdade Tancredo Neves , 1985) and the Latin America Memorial (1987) (described by The Independent of London to be "an incoherent and vulgar construction"). The memorial sculpture represents a wounded hand, whose wound bleeds in the shape of Central and South America. In 1988, at 81, Niemeyer was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize , architecture's most prestigious award. From 1992 to 1996, Niemeyer

6292-616: The Reformed , (including certain Congregationalist , Continental Reformed , and Presbyterian churches), Baptist , Methodist and Nazarene traditions. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed with fasting and abstinence from meat in several Christian denominations. As it is the first day of Lent, many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a Lenten calendar , praying a Lenten daily devotional , and making

6435-756: The Sarum services for Ash Wednesday". From the Sarum Rite practice in England the service took Psalm 51 and some prayers that in the Sarum Missal accompanied the blessing and distribution of ashes. In the Sarum Rite, the Miserere psalm was one of the seven penitential psalms that were recited at the beginning of the ceremony. In the 20th century, the Episcopal Church introduced three prayers from

6578-598: The Soviet Union during his exile, and on his return served as the PCB's president from 1992 to 1996. Niemeyer continued working at the end of the 20th and early 21st century, notably designing the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (1996) and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (2002). Over a career of 78 years he designed approximately 600 projects . Niemeyer died in Rio de Janeiro on 5 December 2012 at

6721-682: The University of Brasília , as well as honorary membership of the American Institute of Architects . Due to his largely left-wing ideology, and involvement with the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Niemeyer left the country after the 1964 military coup and opened an office in Paris. He returned to Brazil in 1985, and was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1988. A socialist and atheist from an early age, Niemeyer had spent time in both Cuba and

6864-460: The altar table where they are burned. In the Victorian era , theatres refrained from presenting costumed shows on Ash Wednesday, so they provided other entertainment, as mandated by the Church of England (Anglican Church). In Iceland , children "pin small bags of ashes on the back of some unsuspecting person", dress up in costumes, and sing songs for candy. In Hungary if someone in

7007-441: The parabolic arch 's geometry to build extremely thin shells. Niemeyer's decision to use such an economical approach, based on the inherent plasticity allowed by reinforced concrete was revolutionary. According to Joaquim Cardoso, the unification of wall and roof into a single element was revolutionary for fusing vertical and horizontal elements. The church's exuberance added to the integration between architecture and art. The church

7150-559: The treatment of gallstones and an intestinal tumour , he was quoted as saying that hospitalization is a "very lonely thing; I needed to keep busy, keep in touch with friends, maintain my rhythm of life." His daughter and only child, Anna Maria , died of emphysema in June 2012, aged 82. Niemeyer died of cardiorespiratory arrest on December 5, 2012, at the Hospital Samaritano in Rio de Janeiro. He had been hospitalised with

7293-472: The "Niemeyer apartment building" at the Praça da Liberdade , Belo Horizonte. The building's completely free form layout is reminiscent of Mies van der Rohe's 1922 glass skyscraper, although with a much more material feel than the airy German one. Also in 1954 as part of the same plaza Niemeyer built a library the (Biblioteca Pública Estadual). During this period Niemeyer built several residences. Among them were

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7436-696: The 1940s and 1950s, Niemeyer became one of Brazil's most prolific architects, working both domestically and overseas. This included the design of the Edifício Copan (a large residential building in São Paulo ) and a collaboration with Le Corbusier (and others) on the United Nations Headquarters, which yielded invitations to teach at Yale University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design . In 1956, Niemeyer

7579-611: The 1943 'Brazil Builds' exhibition, at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Most of the buildings show Niemeyer's particular approach to the Corbusian language. In the casino, with its relatively rigid main façade, Niemeyer departed from Corbusian principles and designed curved volumes outside the confinement of a rational grid. He also expanded upon Corbusier's idea of a promenade architecturale with his designs for floating catwalk-like ramps which unfold open vistas to

7722-411: The 1950s, a time of intensive construction in Brazil produced numerous commissions. Yves Bruand stressed that Niemeyer's 1948 project for a theatre next to the Ministry of Education and Health allowed him to develop his vocabulary. In 1950 he was asked to design São Paulo 's Ibirapuera Park for the city's 400th anniversary celebration. The plan, which consisted of several porticoed pavilions related via

7865-485: The 25th anniversary of the award with the donation to Asturias of the design of a cultural centre. The Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre (also known in Spain as Centro Niemeyer), is located in Avilés and was inaugurated in 2011. In January 2010, the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer Ravello was officially opened in Ravello , Italy, on the Amalfi Coast . The Auditorium's concept design, drawings, model, sketches and text were made by Niemeyer in 2000 and completed under

8008-416: The Brazilian pavilion for the New York World's Fair (executed in collaboration with Paul Lester Wiener ). Neighbouring the much larger French pavilion, the Brazilian structure contrasted with its heavy mass. Costa explained that the Brazilian Pavilion adopted a language of 'grace and elegance', lightness and spatial fluidity, with an open plan, curves and free walls, which he termed 'Ionic', contrasting it to

8151-400: The Canoas House in September 1956, soon after he assumed the Brazilian presidency. While driving back to the city, the politician spoke to the architect about his most audacious scheme: "I am going to build a new capital for this country and I want you to help me [...] Oscar, this time we are going to build the capital of Brazil." Niemeyer organized a competition for the lay-out of Brasília ,

8294-407: The Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast until sunset. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat ( mammals and fowl ), as are all Fridays during Lent. Some Roman Catholics continue fasting throughout Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil . Where the Ambrosian Rite is observed,

8437-540: The District of Columbia had at least one church taking part. Most of these churches (parishes) were Episcopal, but there were also several Methodist churches, as well as Presbyterian and Catholic churches. Robin Knowles Wallace states that the traditional Ash Wednesday church service includes Psalm 51 (the Miserere ), prayers of confession, and the sign of ashes. No single one of the traditional services contains all of these elements. The Anglican church's traditional Ash Wednesday service, titled A Commination , contains

8580-574: The Edifício Montreal (1951–1954), Edifício Triângulo (1955) and the Edifício Sede do Banco Mineiro da Produção. In 1947, Niemeyer returned to New York City to integrate the international team working on the design for the United Nations headquarters . Niemeyer's scheme 32 was approved by the Board of Design, but he eventually gave in to pressure by Le Corbusier, and together they submitted project 23/32 (developed with Bodiansky and Weissmann), which combined elements from Niemeyer's and Le Corbusier's schemes. Despite Le Corbusier's insistence to remain involved,

8723-459: The International Permanent Exhibition Centre. Despite completing construction, the start of the civil war in 1975 in Lebanon disrupted its launch. He opened an office on the Champs-Élysées and found customers in diverse countries, especially in Algeria where he designed the University of Science and Technology-Houari Boumediene . In Paris he created the Headquarters of the French Communist Party , Place du Colonel Fabien , and in Italy that of

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8866-461: The Museum of Modern Art exhibited From Le Corbusier to Niemeyer: Savoye House – Tremaine House 1949 . According to the museum, "The theme of this show is based on Henry Russell-Hitchcock's book on the Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art , Painting toward architecture...". In 2010, Berry Bergdoll, a curator at MoMA asserted the importance of the exhibition as fusing strands of the geometric and organic soon after WWII. Hitchcock's seminal essay in

9009-456: The Priest places ashes on the head of those present who come to him, and says to each one ..." Pre-1970 editions had much more elaborate instructions about the order in which the participants were to receive the ashes, but again without any indication of the form of placing the ashes on the head. The 1969 revision of the Roman Rite inserted into the Mass the solemn ceremony of blessing ashes and placing them on heads, but also explicitly envisaged

9152-416: The Reformed regulative principle of worship . Since the mid-twentieth century, many churches in the Reformed tradition (including certain Congregationalist , Continental Reformed , and Presbyterian churches) do observe both Ash Wednesday and Lent such as the Church of Scotland , the Protestant Church of the Netherlands , the Swiss Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) , although often as

9295-516: The Sambadrome, leading up to Carnival. The official Carnival parades take place just before the start of Lent . They are held for four consecutive nights, during which schools parade one after another from 8pm until the morning. The A Series samba schools are hosted on Friday and Saturday, and the elite Special Group marches on Sunday and Monday. The Special Group nights are by far the biggest attractions. The parades are televised nationally and are watched by large audiences. Each samba school has

9438-422: The Sarum Rite and omitted the Commination Office from its liturgy. In some of the low church traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, small cards are distributed to the congregation on which people are invited to write a sin they wish to confess. These small cards are brought forth to

9581-402: The Student Center of that institution in 2012, and Douglas Clark of St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church in Statesboro , among others, have participated in Ashes to Go. On Ash Wednesday 2017, Father Paddy Mooney, the priest of St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in the Irish town of Glenamaddy , set up an Ashes to Go station through which commuters could drive and receive ashes from their car;

9724-452: The age of 104. Niemeyer was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro on 15 December 1907. His great-grandfather was a Portuguese immigrant who, in turn, was the grandson of a German soldier who had settled in Portugal. Niemeyer spoke about it: "my name ought to have been Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida de Niemeyer Soares, or simply Oscar de Almeida Soares, but the foreign surname prevailed and I am known simply as Oscar Niemeyer". He spent his youth as

9867-483: The ashes are already blessed. The Catholic Church and the Methodist Church say that the ashes should be those of palm branches blessed at the previous year's Palm Sunday service, while a Church of England publication says they "may be made" from the burnt palm crosses of the previous year. These sources do not speak of adding anything to the ashes other than, for the Catholic liturgy, a sprinkling with holy water when blessing them. An Anglican website speaks of mixing

10010-670: The ashes on the forehead for the rest of the day as a public profession of the Christian faith. Morgan Guyton, a Methodist pastor, and leader in the Red-Letter Christian movement, encourages Christians to wear their ashed cross throughout the day as an exercise of religious freedom . Since 2007, some members of major Christian Churches in the United States , including Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, have participated in 'Ashes to Go' activities, in which clergy go outside of their churches to public places, such as city centres , sidewalks and railroad stations , to distribute ashes to passers-by, even to people waiting in their cars for

10153-400: The ashes were strewn over men's heads, but, probably because women had their heads covered in church, were placed on the foreheads of women. In the Catholic Church the manner of imposing ashes depends largely on local custom since no fixed rule has been laid down. Although the account of Ælfric of Eynsham shows that in about the year 1000 the ashes were "strewn" on the head, the marking of

10296-482: The ashes with a small amount of holy water or olive oil as a fixative. Where ashes are placed on the head by smudging the forehead with a sign of the cross, many Christians choose to keep the mark visible throughout the day. The churches have not imposed this as an obligatory rule, and the ashes may even be wiped off immediately after receiving them; but some Christian leaders, such as Lutheran pastor Richard P. Bucher and Catholic bishop Kieran Conry, recommend keeping

10439-632: The ashes" (Jer 6:26). The prophet Daniel recounted pleading to God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Just before the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees , prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39). Examples of

10582-437: The ashes. The rite of blessing has acquired an untraditionally weak association with that particular psalm only since 1970 when it was inserted into the celebration of Mass, at which a few verses of Psalm 51 are used as a responsorial psalm . Where the traditional Gregorian Chants are still used, the psalm continues to enjoy a prominent place in the ceremony. In the mid-16th century, the first Book of Common Prayer removed

10725-457: The ashes. In addition, laypeople take blessed ashes left over after the collective ceremony and place them on the heads of the sick or of others who are unable to attend the blessing. (In 2014, Anglican Liverpool Cathedral likewise offered to impose ashes within the church without a solemn ceremony.) In addition, those who attend such Catholic services, whether in a church or elsewhere, traditionally take blessed ashes home with them to place on

10868-408: The best locations). Inflated prices to watch star samba schools exclude many Brazilians from attending. As a reaction to high levels of commercialization, Rio de Janeiro has experienced a resurgence in free block parties (Street Bands and Groups: Blocos ) that take place in suburbs all over the city. It is possible for a person who is not a member of any samba school to buy a costume and arrange for

11011-464: The bleachers of the structure. Niemeyers's Praça da Apoteose (Apotheosis Square), a 90 metres (300 ft) trilegged arch, became a noted symbol of the Rio Carnival. For the 2016 Summer Olympics , the venue hosted archery and the athletics marathon event, and for the 2016 Summer Paralympics , the venue hosted archery . In preparation for the Olympics, an old Brahma beer factory nearby

11154-609: The blessing, the rite of Blessing and Distribution of Ashes (within Mass) states: "Then the Priest places ashes on the heads of all those present who come to him." The Catholic Church does not limit the distribution of blessed ashes to church buildings and has suggested the holding of celebrations in shopping centers, nursing homes, and factories. Such celebrations presume preparation of an appropriate area and include readings from Scripture (at least one) and prayers, and are somewhat shorter if

11297-618: The butterfly roof used at the Yacht Club and Kubitschek's house became extremely fashionable from then on. The Saint Francis of Assisi church is considered the masterpiece of the complex. When it was built, reinforced concrete was used in traditional ways, such as in pillar, beam and slab structures. Auguste Perret , in Casablanca and Robert Maillart in Zurich had experimented with the plastic freedom of concrete, taking advantage of

11440-472: The butterfly-roofed first floor, lifted up on oblique piloti. These houses featured the same inclined façade used in the Tremaine design, which allowed good natural lighting. In 1954 he built the famous Cavanelas house, with its tent-like metallic roof and which, with the help of Burle Marx's gardens, is perfectly adapted to its mountainous site. However, his residential (and free-form architecture) masterpiece

11583-493: The ceremony of the ashes from the liturgy of the Church of England and replaced it with what would later be called the Commination Office. In that 1549 edition, the rite was headed: "The First Day of Lent: Commonly Called Ash-Wednesday". The ashes ceremony was not forbidden, but was not included in the church's official liturgy. Its place was taken by reading biblical curses of God against sinners, to each of which

11726-449: The chance to visit Europe for the first time. The contact with the monuments of the old world had a lasting impact on Niemeyer's views, which he now believed was completely dependent on its aesthetic qualities. Together with his own realisations of how Brazilian architecture had been harmed by untalented architects, this trip led Niemeyer to revise his approach, which he published as a text named Depoimento in his Módulo Magazine. He proposed

11869-411: The church was the first listed modern building in Brazil. This fact did not influence the conservative church authorities of Minas Gerais, who refused to consecrate it until 1959, in part because of its unorthodox form and in part because of Portinari's altar mural , which depicts Saint Francis as the savior of the ill, the poor and, most importantly, the sinner. Niemeyer stated that Pampulha offered him

12012-451: The city called Pampulha and commissioned Niemeyer to design a series of buildings which would become known as the "Pampulha architectural complex". The complex included a casino, a restaurant/dance hall, a yacht club, a golf club and a church, all of which would be distributed around a new artificial lake. A weekend retreat for the mayor was built near the lake. The buildings were completed in 1943 and received international acclaim following

12155-459: The city can be seen to have elements that repeat themselves in every building, achieving a formal unity. Behind the construction of Brasília lay a monumental campaign to construct an entire city in the barren center of the country, hundreds of kilometers from any major city. The brainchild of Kubitschek, Niemeyer had as aims included stimulating industry, integrating the country's distant areas, populating inhospitable regions and bringing progress to

12298-594: The day of fasting and abstinence is postponed to the first Friday in the Ambrosian Lent, nine days later. Several Lutheran parishes teach communicants to fast on Ash Wednesday, with some parishioners choosing to continue doing so throughout the entire season of Lent, especially on Good Friday. One Lutheran congregation's A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent recommends that the faithful "Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with only one simple meal during

12441-522: The day, usually without meat". In the Church of England, and throughout much of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, the entire forty days of Lent are designated days of fasting. Fridays are designated as days of abstinence in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer . Saint Augustine's Prayer Book , a resource for Anglo-Catholics, defines "Fasting" as "usually meaning not more than a light breakfast, one full meal, and one-half meal, on

12584-473: The decorative fashion that Bill had criticised. Niemeyer himself admitted that for a certain period he had "handled too many commissions, executing them in a hurry, trusting the improvisational skills he believed to have". The Califórnia Building (Edifício Califórnia) in São Paulo is an example. Usually neglected by its creator, it features the V piloti which had worked so well in isolated buildings, creating

12727-594: The design was carried forward by the Director of Planning, Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz , then a partnership. This stay in the United States also facilitated contact regarding the unbuilt Burton G. Tremaine house project, one of Niemeyer's boldest residential designs. Amidst gardens by Roberto Burle Marx , it featured an open plan in Montecito, California on the Pacific Ocean. In February–April 1949,

12870-691: The end of the parade route, the Praça da Apoteose (Apotheosis Square) near the Morro da Mineira , where the bleachers are set further back from the parade area, creating a square where revelers gather as they end their parade. Outside the Carnival season, Apotheosis Square is occasionally used as a major concert venue in Rio de Janeiro. Artists who have performed in Apotheosis Square of the Sambadrome include Roger Waters , Eric Clapton , Supertramp ,

13013-475: The first two elements, but not the third. On the other hand, the Catholic Church 's traditional service has the blessing and distribution of ashes but, while prayers of confession and recitation of Psalm 51 (the first psalm at Lauds on all penitential days, including Ash Wednesday) are a part of its general traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy, they are not associated specifically with the rite of blessing

13156-665: The forehead is the method that now prevails in English-speaking countries and is the only one envisaged in the Occasional Offices of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea , a publication described as "noticeably Anglo-Catholic in character". In its ritual of "Blessing of Ashes", this states that "the ashes are blessed at the beginning of the Eucharist. After they have been blessed they are placed on

13299-797: The forehead of the clergy and people." The Ash Wednesday ritual of the Church of England , Mother Church of the Anglican Communion , contains "The Imposition of Ashes" in its Ash Wednesday liturgy. On Ash Wednesday, the Pope , the Bishop of Rome , traditionally takes part in a penitential procession from the Church of Saint Anselm to the Basilica of Santa Sabina , where, by the custom in Italy and many other countries, ashes are sprinkled on his head, not smudged on his forehead, and he places ashes on

13442-620: The forty days of Lent." The same text defines abstinence as refraining from flesh meat on all Fridays of the Church Year, except for those during Christmastide . In the Methodist tradition, John Wesley's sermons on the topic of the Sermon on the Mount stress the importance of the Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The United Methodist Church therefore states that: There is

13585-405: The guidance of his friend, Italian sociologist Domenico de Masi . The project was delayed for several years due to objections arising from its design, siting, and clear difference from the local architecture; since its inauguration the project has experienced problems and was closed for a year. After reaching 100, Niemeyer was regularly hospitalized. In 2009, after a four-week hospitalization for

13728-632: The heads of other members of the family, and it is recommended to have envelopes available to facilitate this practice. At home the ashes are then placed with little or no ceremony. Unlike its discipline regarding sacraments , the Catholic Church does not exclude anyone from receiving sacramentals , such as the placing of ashes on the head, even those who are not Catholics and perhaps not even baptized. Even those who have been excommunicated and are therefore forbidden to celebrate sacramentals are not forbidden to receive them. After describing

13871-654: The heads of others in the same way. The Anglican ritual, used in Papua New Guinea states that, after the blessing of the ashes, "the priest marks his forehead and then the foreheads of the servers and congregation who come and kneel, or stand, where they normally receive the Blessed Sacrament." The corresponding Catholic ritual in the Roman Missal for celebration within Mass merely states: "Then

14014-519: The house at Canoas was Niemeyer's most extreme lyrical statement, placing rhythm and dance as the antithesis of utility. In 1953 modern Brazilian architecture, which had been praised since Brazil Builds, became the target of international criticism, mainly from rationalists. Niemeyer's architecture in particular was criticised by Max Bill in an interview for Manchete Magazine. He attacked Niemeyer's use of free-form as purely decorative (as opposed to Reidy's Pedregulho housing), his use of mural panels and

14157-465: The individualistic character of his architecture which "is in risk of falling in a dangerous anti-social academicism". He even belittled Niemeyer's V piloti, as purely aesthetic. Niemeyer's first response was denial, followed by a counterattack based on Bill's patronizing attitude, which prevented him from considering the differing social and economic realities of Brazil and European countries. Costa also stressed that Brazilian (and Niemeyer's) architecture

14300-594: The key figures in the development of modern architecture . Niemeyer was best known for his design of civic buildings for Brasília , a planned city that became Brazil's capital in 1960, as well as his collaboration with other architects on the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. His exploration of the aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete was highly influential in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Both lauded and criticized for being

14443-446: The landscape. Although the house is extremely well-suited to its environment, it did not escape criticism. Niemeyer recalled that Walter Gropius , who was visiting the country as a jury in the second Biennial exhibition in São Paulo, argued that the house could not be mass-produced, to which Niemeyer responded that the house was designed with himself in mind and for that particular site, not a general flat one. For Henry-Russell Hitchcock,

14586-403: The last century". Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent , the six weeks of penitence before Easter . Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics , Lutherans , Moravians , Anglicans , and United Protestants , as well as by some churches in

14729-571: The mainstream contemporary modernist architecture, which he termed 'Doric'. Impressed by its avant-garde design, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia awarded Niemeyer the keys to the city of New York. In 1937, Niemeyer was invited by a relative to design a nursery for philanthropic institution which catered for young mothers, the Obra do Berço . It would become his first finalised work. However, Niemeyer has said that his architecture really began in Pampulha, Minas Gerais, and as he explained in an interview, Pampulha

14872-521: The military dictatorship. His office was pillaged, the headquarters of the magazine he coordinated were destroyed and clients disappeared. In 1965, two hundred professors, Niemeyer among them, resigned from the University of Brasília , to protest against the government's treatment of universities. In the same year he traveled to France for an exhibition in the Louvre . The following year, Niemeyer moved to Paris. In 1962 he visited Tripoli, Lebanon to design

15015-404: The more afraid to offend. Instead whereof, until the said discipline may be restored, (which is much to be wished,) it is thought good that at this time (in the presence of you all) should be read the general sentences of God's cursing against impenitent sinners". In line with this, Joseph Hooper Maude wrote that the establishment of The Commination was due to a desire of the reformers "to restore

15158-571: The most important modern landscape architect. They would be partners in many projects in the next 10 years. With the success of Pampulha and the Brazil Builds exhibition, Niemeyer achieved international recognition. His architecture further developed the Brazilian style that the Saint Francis of Assisi Church and, to a lesser extent (due to its primary Corbusian language) the Ministry building, had pioneered. Works of this period shows

15301-515: The name of Christ, to observe a Holy Lent, by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by practicing works of love, and by reading and reflecting on God's Holy Word. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not, in general, observe Ash Wednesday. Instead, Orthodox Great Lent begins on Clean Monday . There are a relatively small number of Orthodox Christians who follow the Western Rite . These do observe Ash Wednesday, although often on

15444-673: The new capital, and the winner was the project of his old master and great friend, Lúcio Costa . Niemeyer would design the buildings, Lúcio the layout of the city. In the space of a few months, Niemeyer designed residential, commercial and government buildings. Among them were the residence of the President ( Palácio da Alvorada ), the chamber of deputies, the National Congress of Brazil , the Cathedral of Brasília (a hyperboloid structure ), diverse ministries. Viewed from above,

15587-507: The occupants. The small restaurant ( Casa do Baile ), which is perhaps the least bourgeois of the complex, is built on its own artificial island and comprises an approximately circular block from which a free-form marquee follows the contour of the island. Although free form had been used even in Corbusier's and Mies's architecture, its application on an outdoors marquee was Niemeyer's innovation. This application of free-form, together with

15730-459: The opportunity to 'challenge the monotony of contemporary architecture, the wave of misinterpreted functionalism that hindered it and the dogmas of form and function that had emerged, counteracting the plastic freedom that reinforced concrete introduced. I was attracted by the curve – the liberated, sensual curve suggested by the possibilities of new technology yet so often recalled in venerable old baroque churches. [...] I deliberately disregarded

15873-457: The parish church also had "drive-through prayers during Lent with people submitting requests into a box left in the church grounds without having to leave their car". Reverend Trey Hall, pastor of Urban Village United Methodist Church, stated that when his local church offered ashes in Chicago "nearly 300 people received ashes – including two people who were waiting in their car for

16016-499: The people were directed to respond with Amen. The text of the "Commination or Denouncing of God's Anger and Judgments against Sinners" begins: "In the primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that, at the beginning of Lent, such persons as stood convicted of notorious sin were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others, admonished by their example, might be

16159-570: The practice among Jews are found in several other books of the Bible , including Numbers 19:9 , 19:17 , Jonah 3:6 , Book of Esther 4:1 , and Hebrews 9:13 . Jesus is quoted as speaking of the practice in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 : "If the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago (sitting) in sackcloth and ashes." Christians continued

16302-434: The practice of using ashes as an external sign of repentance. Tertullian ( c.  160  – c. 225) said that confession of sin should be accompanied by lying in sackcloth and ashes. The historian Eusebius (c. 260/265 – 339/340) recounts how a repentant apostate covered himself with ashes when begging Pope Zephyrinus to readmit him to communion. John W. Fenton writes that "by

16445-574: The primitive practice of public penance in church". He further stated that "the sentences of the greater excommunication" within The Commination corresponded to those used in the ancient Church . The Anglican Church's Ash Wednesday liturgy, he wrote, also traditionally included the Miserere , which, along with "what follows" in the rest of the service (lesser Litany, Lord's Prayer, three prayers for pardon and final blessing), "was taken from

16588-400: The project, of which he assumed leadership in 1939. The Ministry of Education had assumed the task of shaping the " novo homem, Brasileiro e moderno " (new man, Brazilian and modern). It was the first state-sponsored modernist skyscraper in the world, of a much larger scale than anything Le Corbusier had built until then. Completed in 1943, when he was 36 years old, the building that housed

16731-552: The regulator and manager of Brazilian culture and cultural heritage developed the elements of what was to become recognized as Brazilian modernism. It employed local materials and techniques, like the azulejos linked to the Portuguese tradition; the revolutionized Corbusian brises-soleil , made adjustable and related to the Moorish shading devices of colonial architecture; bold colors; the tropical gardens of Roberto Burle Marx ;

16874-451: 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.' The experience also marked the first collaborations between Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx , considered

17017-408: The same building. Many of these concepts were ignored or changed by other presidents with different visions in later years. Brasília was designed, constructed, and inaugurated within four years. After its completion, Niemeyer was named chief of the college of architecture of the University of Brasília . In 1963, he became an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects in the United States;

17160-528: The same year, he received the Lenin Peace Prize from the USSR . Niemeyer and his contribution to the construction of Brasília are portrayed in the 1964 French film L'homme de Rio ( The Man from Rio ), starring Jean-Paul Belmondo . In 1964, at 57, after being invited by Abba Hushi , the mayor of Haifa , Israel, to plan the campus of the University of Haifa on Mount Carmel , he came back to

17303-610: The start of the Easter Triduum on the evening of Maundy Thursday in the Catholic Church . Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, in English-speaking countries, more often by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross. The words (based on Genesis 3:19) used traditionally to accompany this gesture are, " Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. " ("Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.") This custom

17446-643: The straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness 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 was educated at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro , and after graduating, he worked at his father's typography house and as

17589-495: The traditional modernist method in which form follows function, but Niemeyer's (and other Brazilian architects) handling of scale, proportion and program allowed him to resolve complex problems with simple and intelligent plans. Stamo Papadaki in his monography on Niemeyer mentioned the spatial freedom that characterized his work. The headquarters of the Banco Boavista, inaugurated in 1948 show such an approach. Dealing with

17732-573: The village didn't receive ash, they "shared their blessing" by rubbing their foreheads together, and the Csángó people of Moldova even cover the pots with ashes to bring good luck. Ash Wednesday also marks the start of Lent. An interesting related tradition is that since dancing was forbidden, children played dancing games (like ulicskázás and hajujvárazás) and ball games (as mancsozás, csülgözés, kutyasatú and sajbózás), all specific to Hungary. Ashes were used in ancient times to express grief. When Tamar

17875-485: The whole season of Lent. In India, Ash Wednesday is called व्रत विभूति ( Vrat Vibhuti - meaning, "the sacred ash of the Holy Fast"). After attending a worship service, often on Wednesday evenings, it is common for Christians of various denominations that celebrate Lent to break that day's Lenten fast together through a communal Lenten supper , which is held in the church's parish hall . Among Catholics, Ash Wednesday

18018-628: The winner. The Parade of Champions is held the following Saturday featuring the five winning samba schools in the Special Group category and the A Series division winner, which joins the Special Group come the next year. In 2008, ticket prices for normal bleacher, or Grandstands, seats in the Sambadrome on Special Group nights ranged between R$ 10 and R$ 500 (US$ 6.50 to US$ 312.50), with VIP Cabins, or Covered Boxes, seating (which includes open bar, buffet - dinner, dessert and more) and scalped tickets costing much more (starting from US$ 2,500.00, in

18161-460: The words spoken to Adam and Eve after their sin , reminds worshippers of their sinfulness and mortality and thus, implicitly, of their need to repent in time. Various manners of placing the ashes on worshippers' heads are in use within the Latin Church, the two most common being to use the ashes to make a cross on the forehead and sprinkle the ashes over the crown of the head. Originally,

18304-689: The words, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations. Ash Wednesday is observed by numerous denominations within Western Christianity . Latin Church Catholics observe it, along with certain Protestants like Lutherans , Anglicans , some Baptists , many Methodists (including Nazarenes and Wesleyans ),

18447-500: The world. Much like his architecture, Niemeyer's furniture designs evoked the beauty of Brazil, with curves mimicking the female form and the hills of Rio de Janeiro . The Brazilian dictatorship lasted until 1985. Under João Figueiredo 's rule it softened and gradually turned towards democracy. At this time Niemeyer returned to his country. During the 1980s, he made the Memorial Juscelino Kubitschek (1980),

18590-476: Was appointed by Education Minister Gustavo Capanema to design the new headquarters of the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro. Costa himself, although open to change, was unsure of how to proceed. He assembled a group of young architects (Carlos Leão, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Jorge Moreira and Ernani Vasconcellos) to design the building. He also insisted that Le Corbusier himself should be invited as

18733-614: Was based on Niemeyer's scheme for the Quitandinha apartment hotel in Petrópolis designed one year earlier, but never realised. At 33 stories and over 400 meters long, it was to contain 5,700 living units together with communal services such as shops, schools etc., his version of Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation . A similar program was realized in the centre of São Paulo , the Copan apartment building (1953–66). This landmark represents

18876-403: Was based on unskilled work which allowed for a crafted architecture based on concrete, expressing a tradition of (Brazilian) church builders, as opposed to (Swiss) clock builders. Although it was badly received and to an extent an exaggeration, Bill's words were effective in bringing to attention the mediocre architecture coming from less talented architects, who employed Niemeyer's vocabulary in

19019-503: Was constructed, also designed by Niemeyer. The Sambadromo and the Eco Sapucaí thus form an architectural ensemble. The Sambódromo consists of a 700 metres (2,300 ft) stretch of Marquês de Sapucaí street converted into a permanent parade ground with bleachers (grandstands) built on either side for spectators. Its capacity is 90,000. The parade avenue is painted gray each year before Carnival. The complex includes an area located at

19162-429: Was demolished and extra bleachers were built on the site, increasing spectator capacity by around 18,000 seats in accordance with Niemeyer's original vision of making the Sambadrome complex symmetrical. The reopening occurred on February 7, 2012. Mayor Eduardo Paes and architect Oscar Niemeyer attended the ceremony. On the remaining part of the old factory behind the new tribunes the high-rise office building Eco Sapucaí

19305-571: Was invited by Brazil's new president, Juscelino Kubitschek , to design the civic buildings for Brazil's new capital, Brasília . His designs for the National Congress of Brazil , the Cathedral of Brasília , the Palácio da Alvorada , the Palácio do Planalto , and the Supreme Federal Court , all designed by 1960, were experimental and linked by common design elements. This work led to his appointment as inaugural head of architecture at

19448-430: Was invited to teach at Yale University , when his political views cost him a visa. In 1953, at 46, Niemeyer was appointed dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design , but because of his political views the United States government denied his visa therefore preventing him from entering the country. In 1950 the first book about his work to be published in the United States, The Work of Oscar Niemeyer by Stamo Papadaki,

19591-430: Was not financially stable, he insisted on working in the architecture studio of Lúcio Costa , Gregori Warchavchik and Carlos Leão, even though they could not pay him. Niemeyer joined them as a draftsman, an art that he mastered (Corbusier himself would later compliment Niemeyer's 'beautiful perspectives' ). The contact with Costa would be extremely important to Niemeyer's maturation. Costa, after an initial flirtation with

19734-579: Was raped by her half-brother, "she sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying" ( 2 Samuel 13:19 ). The gesture was also used to express sorrow for sins and faults. Ashes could be symbolic of the old sinful self dying and returning to the dust. In Job 42:5–6 , Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." The prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance by saying: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in

19877-585: Was released. It was the first systematic study of his architecture, which significantly contributed to the awareness of his work abroad. It would be followed in 1956 by Oscar Niemeyer: Works in Progress , by the same author. By this time, Niemeyer was already self-confident and following his own path internationally. In 1948 Niemeyer departed from the parabolic arches he had designed in Pampulha to further explore his signature material, concrete. Niemeyer's formal creativity has been compared to that of sculptors. In

20020-649: Was replaced by Zuleide Faria de Mello in 1996. He designed at least two more buildings in Brasília, the Memorial dos Povos Indigenas ("Memorial for the Indigenous People") and the Catedral Militar, Igreja de N.S. da Paz. In 1996, at the age of 89, he was responsible for the design of the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói , a city next to Rio de Janeiro. The building cantilevers out from

20163-484: Was the president of the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB). As a lifelong activist, Niemeyer was a powerful public figure who could be linked to the party at a time when it appeared to be in its death throes after the USSR's demise. Although not politically active, his image helped the party survive its crisis, after the 1992 split and to remain as a political force on the national scene, which eventually led to its renewal. He

20306-404: Was the starting point of this freer architecture full of curves which I still love even today. It was in fact, the beginning of Brasília ... . In 1940, at 33, Niemeyer met Juscelino Kubitschek , who was at the time the mayor of Belo Horizonte , capital of the state of Minas Gerais . Kubitschek, together with the state's governor Benedito Valadares, wanted to develop a new suburb to the north of

20449-550: Was used to keep lighting conditions unchanged throughout the day using artificial light to complement it. The interior, however, was more recognizably done in Niemeyer's mode, with cat-walk ramps linking the different levels and the mezzanine made as a free-form slab hung from ceiling beams. This aesthetic simplicity would culminate in his work in Brasília, where the qualities of the buildings are expressed by their structural elements alone. Juscelino Kubitschek visited Niemeyer at

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