Oscar Niemeyer, one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, left a lasting mark on modern architecture. His bold and revolutionary approach was not limited to his works but extended to his opinions on the discipline.
One of his most provocative quotes is:
We hated Bauhaus. It was a bad time for architecture.
They just didn’t have any talent. All they had were rules. Even for knives and forks they created rules.
Picasso would never have accepted rules.
The house is a machine?
No! The mechanical is ugly. The rule is the worst thing. You just want to break it.
Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012)
Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, was a movement that revolutionized architecture and design in the 20th century. It promoted a functionalist approach where form followed function, and it sought to create a unified aesthetic between art, craft, and technology. However, for Niemeyer, this vision was too restrictive and soulless. His main criticism was directed at the rigid rules imposed by Bauhaus, which he believed stifled creativity and individual expression.
Niemeyer strongly believed that architecture should be an artistic expression free from mechanical constraints and rigid rules. He compared the rules of Bauhaus to a cage that limited creative freedom. His statement that “even for knives and forks, they created rules” highlights how he saw Bauhaus as excessively normative and dogmatic.
The reference to Picasso, an artist known for rebelling against artistic conventions, underscores Niemeyer’s ideal of free and experimental architecture. For Niemeyer, architecture should be closer to art than science, an idea that was in stark contrast to the functionalist approach of Bauhaus.
Another fundamental disagreement between Niemeyer and Bauhaus was the conception of the house as a machine. This idea, promoted by Le Corbusier, another giant of modern architecture, implied that homes should be designed with the same efficiency and precision as machines. Niemeyer categorically rejected this view, arguing that the mechanical was “ugly” and alienating. For him, architecture should evoke emotions, beauty, and humanity, not be reduced to simple engineering rules.
Niemeyer’s approach led to iconic works that reflect his unique vision and rebellion against architectural dogmatism. His fluid and organic curves, present in buildings like the Cathedral of Brasília and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói, embody his philosophy of a living and dynamic architecture. Niemeyer demonstrated that breaking the rules can lead to extraordinary results, combining functionality and beauty in unexpected ways.
