MEC Building
"Before going to Brazil this was one of the main sights I wanted to see. It was a defining accomplishment in the Career of both Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa. This is one of my favorite pieces of modern architecture that I saw. From the picture the Portuguese style tiles can be seen as well as the high columns and the windows with solid concrete vents. The people gathered here were for a protest against unfair treatment by the ministry of culture." -Derick.

Brasília's cathedral
This is the coolest looking cathedral I have ever seen. The second coolest one was in Rio the Metropolitan Cathedral. I think this church is the most elegant built by Oscar Niemeyer. We were able to see a mass happening on the inside. After seeing this beautifully designed modern structure I could not believe that Niemeyer is not Christian. But perhaps this is why he felt confident to move away from more orthodox and less risky designs for his religious places despite them being on the border-line of having the approval of the Pope after completion. There is no denying Niemeyer is a very spiritual person. -Derick

Grande Hotel Ouro Preto
This was the most unusual Oscar Niemeyer building I enocuntered during the trip. It did not have many of his notable trade marks such as daring concrete curves. I still found the aesthetic of this moddern structure very appealing. The long hallway along the the window in it's lobby reminded me of a conformed curve such as the long window at his Niteroi museum. I was so glad to be able to participate in the structures intended use, and found the stay one of the most comfortable hotels of the trip. -Derick

ABI Building
Here we all are at the ABI building in Rio. Apparently because the place is still used as a office we weren't allowed to just waltz inside. We had a tour guide that happened to be a reporter as well and he actually wrote up a article about us here. The building was one of the first examples of modern architecture in Brazil. I remember being so surprised how cool yet light it was inside as well as the openness of the working environment. -Derick

Museum of Modern Art - Rio
The Museum of Modern Art. A modern structure by Afonso Reidy not Oscar Niemeyer. I really liked the way this building is lifted above the ground allowing us to walk underneath. Inside I particularly enjoyed an art piece which took placed grass on the ground and formed a path for us to walk in the negative space. -Derick

Presidential Palace
This is the presidential palace located in the capital, Brasilia. Like many other buildings in Brasilia, this palace was meant to emulate modesty. There are no fences surrounding the palace, thus giving the public a nice, unobstructed view of another Neimeyer piece. You can see the outer supports to the building add a sculpturic quality to it as opposed to being merely functional, another signature quiality of Neimeyer buildings.

I was very fascinated by the fact that there were no physical barriers between the public and the palace. The only separation between palace and viewer was a 4 foot wide shallow canal and two very proper looking guards. -Rachel

Niemyer's Home
This is a view inside of one of Neimeyer's homes that he designed for himself. The architecture of this home incorporates the surrounding nature with the home as opposed to destroying it and plays with the ideas of inside vs. outside. This concept is fundamental to many of his architectual pieces as well as to the brazilian way of life. The brazilian people have a way of blending with nature that we could learn from. -Rachel

Pinacoteca
This is inside of the Pinacoteca, an interesting architectural project which combines architecture from the late 1890's and architecture from the early 1990's.

This museum is a perfect example of how brazilian modernism was different from other modernism movements across the world because it doesn't break with the past. Instead, brazilian modernism incorporates the past in a modern way just as this building incorporated the exposed elevator shafts, glass atrium and other modern elements with the brick classic architecture of the 1890's. -Rachel

Petrobras Building
This building showcases an excellent example of 'pris du soleil' the vertical-blinds-type siding which allows people on the inside of the building to chose the amount of sun which is let in. This building serves as the home to Petrobras, one of Brazil's leading oil companies.

The 'pris du soleil' is not only practical and energy-saving, but also gives the building an artistic and poetic quality allowing people on the inside to manipulate the appearance on the outside- thus the facade is ever-changing and never looks the same. -Rachel

Salao de Altos
Yet another Neimeyer masterpiece, this is inside of his Salao de Altos, a part of the Memorial de America Latina. The organic curves, the unique architectural solution of the outer support, and the sculpturic quality of the staircase are all characteristic of Neimeyer's work. This room came alive as I walked through it by creating a slight sense of disorientation with its full wall-legnth mirror. -Rachel