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cin de una idea, como anticipo, el si-guiente estudio
Se iniciaba entonces, una aproxi-macin al dibujo versus
arquitecturade los siguientes arquitectos: Mies vander Rohe, Le
Corbusier, Oscar Nie-meyer, Alejandro de la Sota y FrankLloyd
Wright.
Vamos a explorar ms a fondo aho-ra la obra del maestro brasileo,
Os-car Niemeyer, a travs de su dibujo.Partimos de la afirmacin de
que po-cos arquitectos han sido tan militan-tes en cuanto a valorar
la importanciadel dibujo en su creacin arquitect-
nica, como podremos comprobar acontinuacin, y no slo por la
ingen-te cantidad de testimonios grficos, si-no por sus reflexiones
acerca del di-bujo como medio creativo.
En ste sentido, considero un privi-legio haber sido testigo de
una expre-sin plstica-comunicativa sin prece-
El siguiente estudio es continuaciny desarrollo de la
comunicacin pre-sentada al Congreso Internacional deExpresin Grfica
Arquitectnica deMadrid de 2008, con el ttulo:
88
En esa comunicacin se pretenda res-ponder a la pregunta del
ttulo, es decir,existe una relacin biunvoca, entreel dibujo del
arquitecto y su obra ar-quitectnica?, o, por el contrario, pue-de
haber una arquitectura sencilla y undibujo de proyecto barroco,
preciosistay en consecuencia contradictorio?.
El texto continuaba diciendo:
De la misma manera cabe preguntarse side una arquitectura con
gusto por el de-talle elaborado, el adorno, etc, se infiereun
dibujo tambin complejo, arabesque,sobredibujado.Los objetivos
iniciales de esta comunica-cin eran muy ambiciosos, a saber: se
pre-tenda explorar la idea globalmente. Enseguida se vio que el
campo era inmenso,que haba material mas que suficiente pa-ra
desarrollar una tesis doctoral. Aco-tamos el objeto de estudio/
campo a unospocos maestros de la arquitectura, de elec-cin
subjetiva, dejando para mas adelan-te los arquitectos en un
principio inclui-dos en el resumen de sta comunicacin.Sirva como
ejemplo pues, como explora-
1. Fotografa del autor.
ACERCA DEL DIBUJO DE OSCAR NIEMEYER
Manuel Franco Taboada
Dibujo sencillo, versus, arquitectura sencilla?
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dentes en la historia de la arquitectu-ra, como ha sido la
extraordinaria oca-sin que tuve de conocer a Oscar Nie-meyer,
asistiendo en directo a laexplicacin pormenorizada de su con-cepto
arquitectnico, de su obra, de sulegado, a travs del dibujo.
Llegamos a su casa-estudio de Co-pacabana, en Ro de Janeiro,
tempra-
no por la maana, cuando el contaba92 aos Hoy tiene 101, y fue
sor-prendente percibir su enorme energa,que difunda con clara
nitidez. Fu-mando un cigarro y con las manos enlos tirantes, nos
acompa al interiorde su despacho el mismo que se veen la fotografa
tomada el ao pasa-do, junto a Alvaro Siza, y en la queera
omnipresente la preciosa fotogra-fa del fondo, de la cual comentar
al-go ms adelante.
Ver a Niemeyer dibujar de arqui-tectura, en directo y a sus 92
aos, essin duda un privilegio, una oportuni-dad nica que la
casualidad, la suerte,me permiti disfrutar. Y digo dibujarde
arquitectura y no hablar de ar-quitectura, porque Niemeyer no
sabecomunicarse, expresar lo ms profun-do de su pensamiento
arquitectnicosin la asistencia del dibujo, sin el re-curso de la
mano, del rotulador negrosobre el papel blanco.
Negro sobre blanco.
El contraste mas puro, la verdadsin tapujos, sin sombras, sin
recurriral artificio.
Blanco y negro.La forma pura expresada en lneas
que refleja la idea matriz, eso que de-fine tan bien su
arquitectura, la lneaes la forma: es la arquitectura.
1/ NIEMEYER, Oscar, Meu Sosia e eu. 1992, pg. 33.2/ dem, pp.
35.3/ dem, pp. 33.
La relacin entre DIBUJO yARQUITECTURA
A Arquitectura se exibe desde o primeirotrao.
Arquitectura que busca la belleza a travsde la imaginacin, sin
caer en pequeosdetalles, actuando sobre la estructura, enla cual se
sumerge y exhibe desde el pri-mer trazo. 1
Cuando Niemeyer dice que su arqui-tectura se sumerge y exhibe en
la es-tructura, nas quais se insere e se exi-be desde o primeiro
trao, nos esthablando no slo de los primeros pasosde la
construccin, sino de los primerostrazos del dibujo. En el primer
momen-to de la concepcin, su dibujo directo,mnimo, define la
estructura que ser alfinal, la esencia de la propia arquitec-tura.
Se examinarem o Congreso deBrasilia ou os palcios nela
realizados
vero que, terminadas sus estruturas, aarquitetura ja estava
presente. 2Para Niemeyer, la belleza de su ar-
quitectura, frente a la arquitectura fun-cionalista, reside en
la libertad de lasformas, en la levedad, variedad y cre-atividad
que les confiere mediante eluso del hormign, y que sus
dibujosexpresan a la perfeccin. Cita a Bau-delaire cuando dice:
Linattendu,lirrgularit , la surprise et letonne-ment sont una
partie essentielle et unecaractristique de la beaut. 3
i examinamos por ejemplo, el dibu-jo para la sede de Mondadori,
a la vezque el propio edificio, o su fotografacannica, observamos
una definicincasi total del mismo; el dibujo repre-senta mediante
una lnea fina, sinsombras la pureza de formas del edi-ficio, en el
cual los detalles apenas exis-ten y, si existen, carecen de
relevancia.
3 y 4
2
5 y 6
2. Fotografa del libro: 100 por 100 Niemeyer.3 y 4. Plaza de los
tres poderes, Brasilia, 1955-60.5 y 6. Sede de Mondadori, 1974.
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que desprecia el dibujo tcnico, hastaconsiderarlo prescindible.
Intentar en-contrar documentacin exhaustiva desus proyectos, planos
de definicinconstructiva, es una tarea ardua. Pa-rece como que no
hubiera paso inter-medio, entre los dibujos de figuraciny la obra
construida
Niemeyer sostiene que muchas ve-
ces resuelve un proyecto slo pensan-do, sin dibujar (como deca
Sota, quel haca), pensando, imaginando comoes, como debe ser, pero
que otras ve-ces lo hace dibujando: La base de laarquitectura son
el dibujo y la cabeza.Cuando llego a una solucin, con losdibujos ya
definidos, empiezo a escri-bir un texto explicando la
arquitec-tura, y si no encuentro argumentos alleer el texto, vuelvo
al tablero porquefalta algo. 6
do que la libertad y el dibujo, son fun-damentales en la vida
del hombre. 4
Cuando habla del dibujo, desenho,Niemeyer defiende la necesidad
depracticar el dibujo figurativo, de la fi-gura humana,
argumentando que ledar la habilidad manual del dibujo amano
alzada:
Ah, como mgico ver surgir na folhabranca de papel um palcio, um
museu,
uma bela figura de mulher! Como as des-ejo e gosto de
desenh-las! Como as sin-to nas curvas da minha arquitectura! 5
Y constantemente en sus libros nospresenta al lado de
fotografas, dibu-jos de naturaleza libre.
Podramos decir que el dibujo a ma-no alzada es tan importante
para l,
Las lneas del dibujo son las aristas dela futura forma
estructural.
Arquitectura tambin sencilla, sindetalles, estructural,
monumental.
La importancia del DibujoEl dibujo resulta esencial para el
arqui-tecto, incluyendo el dibujo figurativo, quese ha reemplazado
en las escuelas desdehace algn tiempo por la tcnica y los or-
denadores. Un nio con talento hace unosdibujos fantsticos a los
ocho o diez aos,que una mala enseanza y el conoci-miento de los
clsicos van a vulgarizar deforma definitiva.
El dibujo es fantstico. Sirve para casi to-do. Ver dibujar a un
nio es siempre bo-nito porque hay libertad. No tiene nadaen la
cabeza, es algo espontneo. De mo-
4/ NIEMEYER, Oscar, 100 Aos de Arquitectura. (Oh, cun mgi-co es
ver que salen en hoja de papel blanco, un palacio, unmuseo, una
bella figura de mujer! Como el deseo y el gusto dedibujo, como el
sentir de las curvas de mi arquitectura!).5/ arquia/documental
1/disco 1. Oscar NIEMEYER. Un arquitectocomprometido. Blgica, 2000;
Brasil, 2003.6/ dem anterior.
90
7. Dibujo de Niemeyer. 8. Detalle del dibujo realizado para el
autor.9. Fotografa de la Catedral de Brasilia.
8
9
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La influencia del paisaje y dela forma femenina en su obra
En Minha Arquitectura, Niemeyerescribe:
No o ngulo recto que me atrai, nema linha recta, dura e
inflexvel, criada pe-lo homem. O que me atrai a curva li-vre e
sensual, a curva que encontro nasmontanhas do meu pas, no curso
si-nuoso dos seus rios, nas ondas do mar,no corpo da mulher
preferida. De cur-vas feito todo o universo, o universocurvo de
Einstein.
Son muchos los dibujos de Niemeyersobre mujeres, sobre las
curvas de lasmujeres podramos decir; y muchos losdibujos de
edificios que son tratados conla misma sinuosidad y que nos
recuer-dan enseguida la forma femenina.
En una ocasin, Le Corbusier le di-jo a Niemeyer que tena dentro
de slas montaas de Ro.
Niemeyer replica a esto que escierto en parte, que el ambiente
enel que viva es el culpable, pero noslo las montaas de Ro sino
suaspraias brancas, suas montanhas mo-numentais, suas velhas
igrejas ba-rrocas, suas belas mulheres bronce-
adas Tudo que me emocionava..De hecho, la fotografa de su
despa-cho, juega con la indefinicin, con elequvoco de unas formas
que no sesabe si son montanhas o mulheresbronceadas. 7
Esa indefinicin, sin duda premedi-tada, la vemos tambin en ste
dibu-
jo, que seala la relacin formal entrepaisaje y forma
femenina:
Tambin nos atrae la mujer. De modo quemi arquitectura no es lo
que deca Le Cor-busier, sino lo que deca Malraux, que te-na un
museo particular donde guardabatodo lo que haba visto y amado en la
vida.
Sin querer pienso que ese que est dentrode m (su sosia) es ms
canalla que yo, so-lo piensa en canalladas, as que tiene lasideas
ms absurdas. Y a veces quiere quehaga cosas que no son posibles.
Hay quecontenerse. As que l me lleva hacia la ar-quitectura, le
gustan las curvas, le gusta lamujer, le gustan las cosas ms
fascinantes,no?. Creo que es eso, y creo que es la ba-se de la
vida. Soy un bicho como otro cual-quiera. Slo pienso en eso. Sin
mujer elhombre, no tiene ninguna razn para vi-vir. Es inevitable.
La mujer es la compa-era del hombre, es indispensable. Es lareina
de los hombres. Fantstica, no?.
A pesar de la enorme importancia
que para Niemeyer tiene la belleza fe-menina, y quiz en segundo
lugar, laarquitectura, debemos colocar sin sa-ber si antes o
despus, su preocupa-cin por los desfavorecidos, los olvi-dados por
los acaudalados, expresadocon sus propias palabras.
En una ocasin declar ante losalumnos de una escuela de
arquitec-tura, que el incluira tres objetivos ensu formacin: su
preparacin para es-cribir y con ello poder explicar sus pro-yectos;
su capacidad para dibujar y as
poder realizar sus proyectos, y su pre-ocupacin por alcanzar
mayor igual-dad social. sta es una verdadera pre-ocupacin
existencial para Niemeyer;el da que lo visit en su estudio, di-jo:
La arquitectura es importante, pe-ro lo ms importante es la vida y
la jus-ticia social para las personas.
7/ NIEMEYER, Oscar. As Curvas do Tempo. Editora Revan, Rio
deJaneiro, 2000.
10. Dibujo del Catlogo de la Exposicin: Niemeyer,Fundacin
Telefnica. 2007.
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92
11. Dibujo realizado para el autor por Oscar Niemeyeren su
estudio de Ro.12. Ministerio del Ejrcito (Brasilia).13. Teatro
Popular en Niteri.14. Detalle, retocado de dibujo de Niemeyer.15.
Fotografa que preside su despacho en Copacabana.16. Dibujo de
Niemeyer.17. Dibujo de Niemeyer (Meu sosia e eu).
11
15
16 17
14
13
12
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La arquitectura brasilea de los aos40, 50 y 60 es acusada por
los crticoscomo M. Bill de formalista, alejndo-se de los conceptos
arquetpicos de laarquitectura racional, tomando los ele-mentos
formales que le interesan, perousndolos como frmulas
convencio-nales, como recetas estticas, simplifi-cando el
repertorio racionalista, empo-breciendo el resultado.
La discusin se centra en si la ex-periencia brasilea, es
autnticamentemoderna o por el contrario se ha trans-formado en una
interpretacin sui ge-neris mezclada con lo vernculo o au-tctono. La
casa de Niemeyer en Ro,de 1953, es para Benvolo una gigan-tesca
moldura decorativa.
Josep M Botey, en el libro de GGsobre Niemeyer cuenta la ancdota
deque Mies, visitando la casa, comentes una construccin pequea,
muybonita , pero irrepetible, exclamacinque divirti mucho a
Niemeyer quedeclar: Pero cmo puede ser repe-tible una casa que
tiene un entornoconcreto, unas curvas de nivel dondeasentarse, una
luz, un paisaje...? C-mo puede ser repetible?. En ste sen-tido,
Niemeyer se coloca muy por de-lante de su tiempo, anticipndose a
laarquitectura que respeta el lugar, ar-quitectura para la que el
sitio, el ge-nius loci, es fundamental.
Para Manfredo Tafuri, la arquitec-tura de Niemeyer o Costa debe
englo-barse dentro del expresionismo, cali-ficndola de escenogrfica
y afirmando
que en Brasilia demuestra los lmitesde su potica, terminando en
s mismay repitindose hasta la nusea. Las des-
tructivas palabras del crtico contin-an calificando el plano de
Brasilia deinfantil y la arquitectura de Niemeyerdonde lo gratuito
se tie de sofisti-cacin ciertamente espectacular, perode veleidad
superflua. 8
ParaJ. M. Montaner la arquitectu-ra latinoamericana, lleg a la
moder-nidad por su propia cuenta, y a pesarde que la impronta de LC
est muypresente en obras de las primeras van-guardias, los
paradigmas formales deLC, estn tomados con total libertad
e incluso pervertidos totalmente.9
En esta pequea seleccin historio-grfica de la obra brasilea,
desde elBenvolo de 1974-87, pasando por elTafuri de 1976 hasta el
Montaner de1999, vemos como la opinin que so-bre el fenmeno se ha
dado, ha idomodificndose y dulcificndose en eltiempo, hasta la
actual de Montaner,menos rgida y ms liberalizadora.
Montaner, en el libro arriba citado,afirma que Niemeyer,
inmediatamen-te despus de las vanguardias, es unode los primeros
arquitectos que des-de una actitud renovadora y progre-sista, pone
totalmente en duda los prin-cipios del estricto funcionalismo
enarquitectura. Su obra es ante todo es-cultrica y expresiva.
Realmente se adelant a su tiempo,a corrientes posteriores que
los crti-cos han denominado brutalistas y ex-
8/ TAFURI, m. Dal Co, F. Arquitectura Contempornea.
Aguilar.Madrid 1978.9/ MONTANER, Josep Mara. Despus del MM.
Arquitectura de lasegunda mitad del siglo XX. GG. Barc. 1999.
Breve resea historiogrfica de la obra de Niemeyer
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Oscar Niemeyer ha tenido una influenciaprofunda y duradera en mi
obra. He visi-tado muchas de sus obras en Brasil, y hetenido tambin
el privilegio de habermereunido con l en varias ocasiones.Creo que
su originalidad, su sensibilidadespacial y su talento virtuoso son
absolu-tamente nicos y no superados. Su obrame inspir y me anim a
seguir mi propiocamino en la arquitectura y a seguirle a len la
bsqueda de una fluidez total en to-
das las escalas. 10
Para Alvaro Siza, Niemeyer apo-y la reconquista de la libertad
cre-ativa, la conjuncin de tradicin ymodernidad, y rememora la
fasci-nacin que producan en su genera-cin los diseos del brasileo:
Pila-res como puntos, paredes como finaslneas ondulantes, casi
disuelta la for-ma, con todo tan ntida y tan nuevay tan evocadora.
11
Renzo Piano record que Niemeyerestaba en el jurado del concurso
don-
de le asignaron a l y al ingls RichardRogers la construccin del
centro Pom-pidou de Pars.
Agreg que el brasileo encuentrala armona en las formas de las
cur-vas y lo describi como un hombrelleno de irona que se inspira
en lamujer, la biologa o la naturaleza.Arquitectura alegre que no
es vaca,recalc, porque detrs hay un papelpoltico, el de hacer
arquitectura paraque la gente la goce y para que la ciu-dad sea un
lugar de felicidad.
Podramos continuar citando aotros arquitectos, como
Legorreta,Gae Aulenti, Francisco Lpez Guerra,Teodoro Gonzlez de
Len, RichardMeier o Richard Rogers, pero termi-naremos citando
aJuan Herreros, elcual resume los comentarios vertidosanteriormente
acerca de los cambios
presionistas, y a las que pertenecen lasarquitecturas de
Saarinen, Scharoun,Tange, Candela, Nervi, Utzon o el pro-pio Le
Corbusier, y que a pesar de serun paquete muy amplio, tienen
comonexo el inters por el contexto, por lanaturaleza, por lo
vernculo, la ex-presividad o la escultura y funda-mentalmente la
monumentalidad.
Termina Montaner sealando quese ha hablado de la gran
influenciade LC, en la arquitectura, pero hu-biese sido posible
Ronchamp sin laaportacin del carcter de las formascurvas en Oscar
Niemeyer o el espa-cio ondulado de Alvar Aalto, arqui-tectos ms
jvenes que LC?. Induda-blemente no.
Es curioso cmo determinada crti-ca, se ha encargado de demonizar
laarquitectura de Niemeyer, o la del LCde Ronchamp, a pesar de que
cuan-
do ha sido necesario ilustrar la arqui-tectura moderna del siglo
XX, por par-te de profanos, que no incultos, se hayaescogido
siempre a Ronchamp.
Es llamativo tambin como popu-larmente en Brasil, Niemeyer es
una es-pecie de padre de la patria, considera-do no ya el mejor
arquitecto de Brasil,sino el mayor artista plstico del mun-do, por
encima incluso de Picasso.
La idea de la simplificacin forma-lista de la arquitectura
Brasilea, se ex-tiende desde el plano de la ciudad de
Costa, hasta los edificios proyectadospor Niemeyer, y que
siempre respon-den a un esbozo formal muy simple.
Recientemente, Zaha Zadid, conmotivo del centenario del maestro
enun homenaje promovido por la agen-cia EFE, alababa la obra de
Niemeyersin ambages:
10/ Siza, Hadid, Rogers, Meier, Piano, Legorreta y Aulenti,
home-najean al maestro Niemeyer.Terra.es.
14.12.07http://www.proyectoasistido.com/internacional/siza-hadid-ro-gers-meier-piano-legorreta-y-aulenti-homenajean-al-maestro-nie-meyer-2.html11/
arquia/documental 1/disco 1. Oscar NIEMEYER. Un arquitec-to
comprometido. Blgica, 2000; Brasil, 2003.
94
Casa de Niemeyer , 1953.
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apreciados en la crtica de la obra deNiemeyer a travs del
tiempo, y queadems conecta frontalmente con elhilo conductor del
presente trabajo,la relacin entre el dibujo de Nieme-yer y su
arquitectura:
Oscar Niemeyer representa para los ar-quitectos la confianza en
la forma. Aun-que su repertorio figurativo correspondaa una esttica
y unas tcnicas no vigenteshoy, su trabajo trascender todas las
po-cas pues nadie puede sustraerse a la fas-cinacin que produce una
obra gestadadesde la seguridad de que imagen, siluetay experiencia
espacial son elementos fun-damentales de la arquitectura.En cierto
modo, Oscar Niemeyer emite unmensaje de sencillez a pesar de la
volup-tuosidad de su trabajo pues la reduccina unos pocos
materiales, unas organiza-ciones elementales y una facilidad casi
in-genua en la comprensin y el uso de susedificios, le confiere un
cariz mitolgicopor su relacin entre idea original, trazoprimero y
construccin, como si no que-
dara rastro del camino recorrido por elproyecto y tantos pasos
intermedios nece-sarios para llevar cada obra a cabo.La puesta en
valor de la belleza como in-grediente funcional es seguramente su
le-gado ms frtil y til para la arquitectura.La obra de Oscar
Niemeyer es ahora msapreciada que nunca y lo ser en el futu-ro
prximo porque la crtica de formalis-ta ha perdido
peso.Efectivamente, ya no cabe el menoscabode antifuncionalista o
despilfarrador delespacio pues es la fusin de los dos con-ceptos
belleza y funcin lo que hacegrande su trabajo no por atender a la
ac-tividad programada con actitud minucio-sa sino por considerar
que el uso expe-riencial del espacio y la percepcin sonfunciones
tan importante o ms que cual-quier otra. Esta actitud convierte en
su-perfluo el sinfn de exigencias y pormeno-res que tantas veces
ahogan a los proyectoslastrando y perturbando hasta el deterio-ro
irreversible lo que podra ser un tra-bajo limpio, intenso y
hermoso. 12
12/ arquia/documental 1/disco 1. Oscar N IEMEYER. Un
arquitectocomprometido.
Bibliografa especfica
BIBLIOGRAFA ESPECFICA
NIEMEYER , O100 Aos de Arquitectura. 2007.100 por 100 Niemeyer.
Catlogo de la exposicin. Fun-dacin Telefnica. Madrid. 2009.
http://www.skyscra-percity.com/archive/index.php/t-558920.htmlAs
Curvas do Tempo. Editora Revan, Rio de Janeiro, 2000.Meu Ssia e eu.
Campo das letras,Porto 1999. Niemeyer.1992.
Minha Arquitetura- 1937-2004 - Editora Revan, Rio deJaneiro,
2004.
BIBLIOGRAFA GENERAL
TAFURI, m. Dal Co, F. Arquitectura Contempornea. Agui-lar.
Madrid 1978
MONTANER, Josep Mara. Despus del MM. Arquitectu-ra de la segunda
mitad del siglo XX. GG. Barc. 1999
LAMPUGNANI, V. M. Enciclopedia de la arquitectura delsiglo XX.
G.G Barc. 1989
BENVOLO, Leonardo. Historia de la arquitectura moder-na. GG.
Barcelona 1987
BOESIGER/ H. GIRSBERGER. Le Corbusier 1910-65. GG. Bar-celona
1978-98
CURTIS, Wiliam. J.R. La arquitectura moderna desde 1900.Blume.
Madrid 1986.
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The importance of DrawingDrawing, including figurative drawing,
is essentialfor an architect, but in schools it was replaced
bytechnical drawing and computers a long time ago. Atalented child
does some fantastic drawings at eightor ten years old, which bad
teaching and knowledgeof the classics is going to permanently
vulgarize.Drawing is fantastic. It serves for almost
everything.Seeing a childs drawing is always nice because thereis
freedom. The child doesnt have anything in itshead, it is something
spontaneous. So freedom anddrawing are essential parts of the life
of man. 4
When talking about desenho drawing, Niemeyerdefends the need for
figurative drawing, of the hu-man figure, arguing that it provides
the manual abil-ity to draw freehand:Ah, como mgico ver surgir na
folha branca depapel um palcio, um museu, uma bela figura de
mul-her! Como as desejo e gosto de desenh-las! Comoas sinto nas
curvas da minha arquitectura! 5
In addition, all through his books he presents us withfreehand
drawings next to the photographs.We could say that freehand drawing
is so importantto him that he re jects technical drawing, to such
apoint that he considers it expendable. To try and findexhaustive
documentation on his projects, plans thatdefine the construction,
is an arduous task. It is al-most as if there was no intermediate
step betweenthe figurative drawing and the constructed
work.Niemeyer says that he has often come up with the
solution for a project by just thinking about it, with-out
drawing (as Sota says he did), imagining how itis, how it should
be, but at other times he arrives atthe solution through drawing:
The basis for archi-tecture is drawing and the mind. When a
solution isfound, and once the drawings are defined, I start
towrite a text explaining the architecture, and if on read-ing the
text I do not find arguments I go back to thedrawing board because
something is missing. 6
The influence of the landscape and the feminine formon his
workIn Minha Arquitectura, Niemeyer writes: No ongulo recto que me
atrai, nem a linha recta, dura einflexvel, criada pelo homem. O que
me atrai a cur-va livre e sensual, a curva que encontro nas
montan-has do meu pas, no curso sinuoso dos seus rios, nas
ondas do mar, no corpo da mulher preferida. De cur-vas feito
todo o universo, o universo curvo de Ein-stein.Many of Niemeyers
drawings are of women, or, per-haps more accurately, of womens
curves; and manyof the drawings of buildings are equally
curvaceousand immediately bring to mind the feminine form.On one
occasion, Le Corbusier told Niemeyer that hehad the Rio mountains
within him.Niemeyer replied that this was partly true, that
theenvironment in which he was living was to blame, but
Siza, in which the beautiful photograph at the backwas
omnipresent, but more of that later.To see Niemeyer drawing
architecture in personand at 92 years old is without doubt a
privilege, aunique opportunity that chance, or luck, allowedme to
enjoy. I am saying drawing architecture nottalking about
architecture because Niemeyerdoes not know how to communicate, to
express thedepth of his architectural thinking, without the aidof
drawing, without using his hand to put black penon white
paper.Black on white.
The purest contrast, the truth without beating aboutthe bush,
without shades of grey, without resortingto artifice.White and
black.The pure form expressed in lines that reflect the mainidea,
the idea that defines his architecture so well,that the line is the
shape: it is architecture.
The relationship between DRAWING andARCHITECTUREA Arquitectura
se exibe desde o primeiro trao.Architecture which seeks out beauty
through theimagination, without worrying about small
details,working on the structure, which is created and ex-hibited
with the first line1
When Niemeyer says that his architecture is insert-ed and
exhibited in the structure, nas quais se in-sere e se exibe desde o
primeiro trao, he is talkingnot only about the first stages of
construction, but al-so the first linesof the drawing. From the
first mo-ment of conception, his direct and minimalist draw-ing
defines the structure which will be, in the end,the essence of the
archi tectu re i tself . Se exam-inarem o Congreso de Brasilia ou
os palcios nelarealizados vero que, terminadas sus estruturas,
aarquitetura ja estava presente. 2
For Niemeyer, the beauty of his architecture, in con-trast to
functionalist architecture, resides in the free-dom of the forms,
in the lightness, variety and cre-ativity that he gives them
through the use of concrete,and which is perfectly expressed by his
drawings. Hequotes Baudelaire when he says: Linattendu,
lir-rgularit , la surprise et letonnement sont una par-tie
essentielle et une caractristique de la beaut.3
If, for example, we examine the drawing of the Mon-dadori
headquarters at the same time as we look atthe building, or at its
canonic photograph, we can seean almost complete definition of the
building; thedrawing represents, through fine lines and
withoutshading, the purity of the form of the building, a draw-ing
in which details scarcely exist and, where theydo exist, are
unimportant. The lines of the drawingcreate the outline of the
future structural form.Architecture which is also simple, without
details,structural, monumental.
ABOUT THE DRAWINGS OF OSCAR
NIEMEYER
by Manuel Franco Taboada
This paper is a continuation and development of thework
presented to the International ArchitecturalGraphic Expression
Congress in Madrid in 2008, underthe title: Simple drawing versus
simple architecture.In that paper we intended to answer the
conundrumin the title. In other words, is there a direct link
be-tween an architects drawings and his or her architec-ture? Or,
on the contrary, is it possible to have simplearchitecture with
project drawings that are baroqueand highly detailed, and therefore
contradictory?The text went on to say:In the same way, one can ask
if from architecturewith a taste for elaborate details or
decoration onecan infer that the drawing is also complex,
arabesque,over-drawn.The initial aim of that paper was therefore
very am-bitious: the intention was to explore the concept asa
whole. It soon became clear that the field is im-mense, that there
is more than enough material for adoctoral thesis. We therefore
delimited the objectiveof the study/field to a few masters of
architecture,chosen subjectively, leaving for later the
architectsinitially included in the summary of the paper.It was
therefore an introduction, the exploration ofan idea, a taste of
the work to come.Work therefore began to test the relationship
betweendrawing and architecture for the following architects:Mies
van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer,Alejandro de la Sota and
Frank Lloyd Wright.In this paper we are going to explore the work
of theBrazilian master Oscar Niemeyer in more depth,through his
drawing. We are starting f rom the viewthat, as we will explore
below, few architects havebeen as militant in terms of valuing the
importanceof drawing in architecture, something that we cansee not
only from the huge number of graphic testi-monies, but also from
his reflections about drawingas a creative medium.I consider it a
privilege to have been witness to a plas-tic-communicative
expression, unprecedented in thehistory of architecture, during the
extraordinary op-portunity I had to meet Oscar Niemeyer,
experiencingin person a detailed explanation of his
architecturalconcept, his works, and his legacy, through drawing.We
arrived at the studio in his house in Copacabana,Rio de Janeiro,
early in the morning. Today he is 101years old, but at that time he
was 92 years old and itwas surprising to see how enormously
energetic hewas, something that he communicated clearly. Smok-ing a
cigarette and with his hands on his braces, heshowed us into his
office, the same one that you cansee in the photograph taken last
year with Alvaro
1/ OSCAR NIEMEYER, Meu Sosia e eu. 1992, Page. 33.2/ Idem,
p.35.3/ Idem, p.33.
4/ OSCAR NIEMEYER, 100 years of Architecture(Oh, howmagical it
is to see what appears on a sheet of white paper,a palace, a
museum, the beautiful figure of a woman! Likedesire and the
enjoyment of drawing, like the feeling fromthe curves of my
architecture! ).5/ arquia/documental 1/disc 1. Oscar Niemeyer.
Unarquitecto comprometido. Belgium, 2000; Brazil, 2003.6/ Idem
previous.
00
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7/ NIEMEYER , O. As Curvas do Tempo- Publisher Revan, Riode
Janeiro, 20008/ TAFURI, M. DAL CO, F. Arquitectura
Contempornea.Aguilar. Madrid 1978.
9/ MONTANER, JOSEP MARA. Despus del MM. Arquitecturade la
segunda mitad del siglo XX. GG. Barc. 1999.10/ Siza, Hadid, Rogers,
Meier, Piano, Legorreta y Aulenti,homenajean al maestro
Niemeyer.Terra.es.
14.12.07.http://www.proyectoasistido.com/internacional/siza-hadid-rogers-meier-piano-legorreta-y-aulenti-homenajean-al-maes-tro-niemeyer-2.html.
Niemeyer, and that of LCs Ronchamp, despite thefact that when it
is necessary to illustrate the mod-ern architecture of the 20th
century, for laymen, butcultured ones, he always chooses
Ronchamp.It is also interesting to note that in Brazil, Niemeyeris
seen as a type of father figure in the country, con-sidered as not
just the best architect in Brazil, but al-so the best plastic
artist in the world, better even thanPicasso.The idea of the
formalist simplification of Brazilianarchitecture extends from
Costas plan for the city tothe buildings constructed by Niemeyer,
and always
involves a very simple outline of the shape.Recently, Zaha
Zadid, in a tribute to the master, pro-moted by the EFE agency, to
celebrate him reach-ing 100 years old, praised the work of Niemeyer
with-out beating about the bush:Oscar Niemeyer has had a profound
and lasting in-fluence on my work. I have visited many of his
worksin Brazil and I have also had the privilege to have methim on
several occasions.I believe that his originality, his spatial
sensitivity andhis virtuoso talent are absolutely unique and
unsur-passed. His work inspired me and encouraged me tofollow my
own path in architecture and to follow himin the search for total
fluidity on all scales. 9
For Alvaro Siza, Niemeyer supported the recoveryof creative
freedom, the combination of tradition andmodernity and he recalls
the fascination that this
produced in his generation of Brazilian designers:Pillars as
points, walls as fine undulating lines, theform almost broken up,
with everything so clear, sonew and so evocative10.Renzo Piano
recalled that Niemeyer was on the ju-ry for a competition which
assigned the constructionof the Pompidou centre in Paris to him and
to the Eng-lish architect Richard Rogers.He added that the
Brazilian found harmony in the formof the curves and described him
as a man full of ironywho was inspired by women, biology and
nature.Cheerful architecture which is not empty he saysbecause
behind it is a political role, that of makingarchitecture for
people to enjoy, so that the city canbe a place for happiness.We
could continue quoting other architects such asLegorreta, Gae
Aulenti, Francisco Lpez Guerra,
Teodoro Gonzlez de Len, Richard Meier andRichard Rogers, but
instead we will finish by quotingJuan Herreros, who summarises the
comments setout above about the notable changes in the criticalview
of the work of Niemeyer over time, and also con-nects directly with
the thread running through thispaper, the relationship between
Niemeyers draw-ings and his architecture:For architects, Oscar
Niemeyer represents confi-dence in the form. Although his
figurative repertoireinvolves an aesthetic and techniques which are
no
Niemeyers House in Rio, from 1953, is a giant dec-orative
moulding.Josep M Botey, in the book about Niemeyer by GG,tells the
anecdote that Mies, visiting the house, com-mented that it is a
small construction, very pretty,but not repeatable, an exclamation
which greatlyamused Niemeyer who declared: But how can ahouse be
repeatable when it has a particular sur-rounding, contours lines to
sit on, a light, a land-scape.? How can it be repeated?. In this
sense,Niemeyer was far ahead of his time, anticipating
anarchitecture that would respect the location, an ar-
chitecture for which the location, the genius loci,would be
fundamental.For Manfredo Tafuri, the architecture of Niemeyerand
Costa can be included in expressionism, clas-sifying it as
scenographic, and stating that in Brazilit demonstrates the limits
of is poetics, terminating initself and repeating itself ad
nauseum. The destruc-tive words of the critic continue, classifying
the planfor Brasilia as infantile, and the architecture ofNiemeyer
where the gratuitous is tinted with whatis certainly a spectacular
sophistication, but of su-perfluous whimsicality.7
For J. M. Montaner, Latin American architecture foundmodernity
on its own, and despite LCs influence be-ing very notable in the
works of the first vanguards,the formal paradigms of LC are being
taken with com-plete freedom, and even completely perverted.8
In this small historiographic section on the reactionto
Brazilian works, from Benvolo in 1974-87, pass-ing through Tafuri
in 1976 and up to Montaner in 1999,we see how opinions about the
phenomenon havechanged and improved over time, up to the currentday
Montaner, less rigid and more liberalising.Montaner, in the book
quoted above, states thatNiemeyer, immediately after the vanguards,
is one ofthe first architects to, from this renovat ing and
pro-gressive attitude, completely put the principles ofstrict
functionalism in architecture in doubt. His workis above all
sculptural and expressive.He was really ahead of his time, ahead of
the move-ments which the critics would later label as brutalistand
expressionist, to which the architecture of Saari-nen, Scharoun,
Tange, Candela, Nervi, Utzon and LeCorbusier himself belongs, and
despite being a verywide group it has as its nexus an interest in
context,nature, the vernacular, expressivity or sculpture,and
fundamentally, monumentality.Montaner finished by saying that much
has beensaid about the great influence of LC on the architec-ture.
However, would Ronchamp have been possiblewithout the benefit of
the curved forms of OscarNiemeyer or the undulating space of Alvar
Aalto, ar-chitects younger than LC. Undoubtedly not.It is curious
how, as a determined critic, he has tak-en it upon himself to
demonise the architecture of
not only the mountains of Rio, also suas praias bran-cas, suas
montanhas monumentais, suas velhas igre-jas barrocas, suas belas
mulheres bronceadas Tu-do que me emocionava.. In fact, the
photograph inhis office plays with identification, with the
confusionbetween shapes that could be montanhas or mul-heres
bronceadas.This confusion, without doubt intentional, can alsobe
seen in this drawing, which shows the relation-ship between the
shape of the landscape and thefeminine form.Women also attract us.
So my architecture is notwhat Le Corbusier was saying, but rather
what Mal-raux was saying, that he had a private museumwhere he kept
everything that he had seen andloved in his life.Without wanting
to, I think that what I have insideme (my double) is more wicked
than I am, he thinksonly wicked thoughts, and therefore has the
mostabsurd ideas. At times he wants to do things thatare just not
possible. He has to be contained. Hedraws me towards architecture,
he likes curves, helikes women, he likes the most fascinating
things,doesnt he? I think it is so, and I think it is the ba-sis
for life. I am just like anyone else. I just thinkabout that.
Without women, men have no reason tolive. It is inevitable. The
woman is mans compan-ion, she is essential. She is the queen of the
men.Fantastic, isnt it?Despite the huge importance to Niemeyer of
femi-
nine beauty, and architecture, although this may havetaken
second place, we must add, without knowingif it comes before or
after these other priorities, hisconcern for the less fortunate,
those forgotten by theaffluent, expressed in his own words.On one
occasion he told the students at a school ofarchitecture that he
would include three objectivesin their education: prepare them for
writing so theycan explain their projects; provide them with the
ca-pacity to draw so they can prepare projects, and cre-ate concern
about how to achieve greater socialequality. It is a real
existential concern for Niemey-er; the day that I visited him in
his studio he said: Ar-chitecture is important, but life and social
justice forthe people are more important.
Brief review of the works of Niemeyer
In the 40s, 50s and 60s, the Brazilian architect wasaccused by
critics such a M. Bill of formalism, mov-ing away from the
archetypal concepts of rational ar-chitecture, taking the formal
elements that interest-ed him but using them as conventional forms,
asaesthetic recipes, simplifying the rationalist reper-toire and
weakening the result.The argument centres on whether the
Brazilianexperience is truly modern or, on the contrary, ithas
turned into a sui generisinterpretation, mixedwith the vernacular
or indigenous. For Benvolo,
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CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE AND
COLOR OF THE LANDSCAPE: BETWEEN
MIMICRY AND UNIQUENESS
by Juan Serra
IntroductionThis article reflects on the link between color
dis-plays on contemporary architecture and its naturalor built
context. Every architectural object establish-es a formal dialogue
with the landscape in which itfits, which should take into account
the characteris-
tics of architecture and its counterpar t in the physi-cal
environment: geometry, dimensions, materials,colors, etc.
Architects usually describe the nature ofthese characteristics that
often serve as a startingpoint and an inspiration source to unleash
the cre-ative process of a building project. However, it is of-ten
observed that the chromatic relat ionship of thenew building on its
immediate context is studied withless intensity or even with an
excess of disinterest.The reasons for this circumstance first
responds tothe complex nature of the phenomenon being stud-ied. The
color has too many variables that determineand affect its
perception: colorimetric variables, pig-ments, light source (Lois
Swirnoff), the extension ofthe surface (Karen Fridell), the
distance of observa-tion (Andrers Hard), th e cesium (JL Caivano, A
C .Hardy), the chromatic contrasts (J. Albers, etc.). Sec-
ondly, there are methodological and procedural lim-itations:
technical limitations of the equipment used(Zenna OConnor),
criteria for selecting the colorranges that dominate the landscape
(JP Lenclos), in-formation management, color terminology
(GiovanniBrino, etc.). It is evident, therefore, a certain delay
inthe assessment of the chromatic circumstances forthe project if
compared to other architectural var i-ables traditionally
well-attended, as the lines of theterritory or its formal logic,
which is also due to a mod-ern tradition of low interest in
architectural color.The conception of architecture as a constructed
ob-ject located in an environment is governed by the Lawof
Back-figure. This principle is basic to the percep-tion of space
and was studied in depth both by RudolfArnheim and by the Danish
psychologist Egar Rubin(1886-1951). As our perception is binary, we
tend to
perceive the geometry of objects like figures cut onsurrounding
and unlimited surfaces perceived asbackground. In the perception of
reality we do notonly recognize two levels of deepness but a
succes-sion of levels which form a complex and
organizeddistribution scheme. In 1915, Rubin identifies manyfactors
that facilitate that a form is perceived as fig-ure instead of a
background: its smaller size over theground, its closed contour,
its most texture, its low-er position in the composition, the
simplicity of its
FIGURES1. Photograph of the author.2. Photograph from the book:
100 x 100 Niemeyer.3 and 4. Three Powers Square, Brasilia,
1955-60.5 and 6. Mondadori Headquarters, 1974.7. Drawing by
Niemeyer.8 and 9. A drawing by Niemeyer (9). Photograph of
BrasiliaCathedral.10. Drawing from an Exhibition Catalogue:
Niemeyer, Tele-fnica Foundation. 2007.11. Drawing by Oscar Niemeyer
for the author, completed inhis study in Rio.12. Detail from the
previous drawing.13. Ministry of Defence (Brazilian Army),
Brasilia.
14. Popular Theatre in Niteroi.15. Detail, adjustments to the
Niemeyer drawing.16. Photograph which presides over his office in
Copaca-bana.17. Drawing by Niemeyer.18. Drawing by Niemeyer (Meu
sosia e eu).
Niemeyers House 1953
longer in use, his work will transcend the generationsbecause
nobody can take away the fascination pro-duced by a work created
from the security that im-age, silhouette and spatial experience
are fundamen-tal elements in architecture.In a certain way, Oscar
Niemeyer emits a messageof simplicity despite the voluptuousness of
his work.The reduction to a few materials, some elemental
or-ganisations and an almost ingenious facility for the
com-prehension and use of his buildings, confer him a mytho-logical
image due to the relationship between theoriginal idea, the first
line and the construction, as if no
trace remains of the development of the project andthe many
intermediary steps required to complete it.The emphasis on beauty
as a functional ingredientmust be his most fertile and useful
legacy for archi-tecture. The work of Oscar Niemeyer is more
appre-ciated now than ever, and this will continue in thenear
future because the criticism of formalism hasweakened.Indeed, there
is no longer room to criticise his worksas anti-functionalist or
extravagant with space, sinceit is the fusion of the two concepts
of beauty andfunction which makes his work so good. Instead
ofpaying meticulous attention to the programmed ac-tivity, he
considers the experiential use of the spaceand perception as
functions which are as important,or even more important, than any
other. This attituderenders superfluous the various demands and
detailswhich so often can drown a project, weighing it downand
modifying it until there is an irreversible deteri-oration in what
could have been a clean, intense andbeautiful work.11
BIBLIOGRAPHYSpecific Bibliography:Niemeyer, O:100 Aos de
Arquitectura. 2007100 x 100 Niemeyer. Exhibition catalogue.
Telefnica Foun-dation. Madrid.
2009.http://www.skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-558920.htmlAs
Curvas do Tempo- Publisher Revan, Rio de Janeiro, 2000Meu Ssia e
eu. - Campo das letras Porto 1 999. Niemeyer.1992.Minha Arquitetura
- 1937-2004 - Publisher Revan, Rio deJaneiro, 2004.
General bibliography:
Tafuri, m. Dal Co, F. Arquitectura Contempornea. Aguilar.Madrid
1978.Montaner, Josep Mara. Despus del MM. Arquitectura dela segunda
mitad del siglo XX. GG. Barc. 1999.Lampugnani, V. M. Enciclopedia
de la arquitectura del sigloXX. G.G Barc. 1989Benvolo, Leonardo.
Historia de la arquitectura moderna.GG. Barcelona 1987.Boesiger /
H. Girsberger. Le Corbusier 1910-65. GG.Barcelona 1978-98.Curtis,
Wiliam. J.R. La arquitectura moderna desde 1900.Blume. Madrid
1986.
11/ arquia/documental 1/disco 1. Oscar Niemeyer. Unarquitecto
comprometido. Belgium, 2000; Brazil 2003.12/ arquia/documental
1/disco 1. Oscar Niemeyer. Unarquitecto comprometido. Belgium,
2000; Brazil 2003.
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