Does the name Oscar Niemeyer ring a bell to you? It’s okay; we weren’t familiar with him either. That doesn’t mean his scope of influence is any smaller, though. A successful and inspiring Brazilian modern architect, Niemeyer’s buildings continue to shape other architectural works, and his furniture designs are quite fun, too.
Born in 1907, Niemeyer’s architectural influence is great due in large part to him being such an artistically talented individual. In fact, he’s often referred to as the “sculptor of monuments.” The buildings he created aren’t just static spots in space, they are sensuous, spiritual and incredible spots in the landscape. Known for commercial work the most, he’s most famous for Cathedral of Brasília, National Congress of Brazil and United Nations Headquarters in New York City (with others).
So why is it so important to talk about his architecture if we’re really only interested in his furniture creations? Because he approached furniture design the same way he approached architecture, and had some eye-raising opinions:
“It is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. What attracts me is the free and sensual curve — the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman.”
You can certainly see the curves he’s talking about in many of his furniture pieces. In some of his famous ones, like lounge chairs, comfy cushions float on impossibly curved pieces of metal, the sight of which makes for a strong architectural statement in a piece of furniture. Another famous piece, his Rio Chaise, mixes fun materials with a strikingly modern shape with a sillouette that could have only been designed by an architect.
Though he’s definitely most known for his great architectural work, we think his furniture designs were pretty great as well! Love what you see in this post but want more? Like fun perfect pairs, designer influence profiles and profiles of contemporary designers? Thank goodness for you we’ve got a
Facebook page and
tweet a lot; you can keep up with everything Swank Lighting does.
Born in 1907, Niemeyer’s architectural influence is great due in large part to him being such an artistically talented individual. In fact, he’s often referred to as the “sculptor of monuments.” The buildings he created aren’t just static spots in space, they are sensuous, spiritual and incredible spots in the landscape. Known for commercial work the most, he’s most famous for Cathedral of Brasília, National Congress of Brazil and United Nations Headquarters in New York City (with others).
So why is it so important to talk about his architecture if we’re really only interested in his furniture creations? Because he approached furniture design the same way he approached architecture, and had some eye-raising opinions:
“It is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. What attracts me is the free and sensual curve — the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman.”
You can certainly see the curves he’s talking about in many of his furniture pieces. In some of his famous ones, like lounge chairs, comfy cushions float on impossibly curved pieces of metal, the sight of which makes for a strong architectural statement in a piece of furniture. Another famous piece, his Rio Chaise, mixes fun materials with a strikingly modern shape with a sillouette that could have only been designed by an architect.
Though he’s definitely most known for his great architectural work, we think his furniture designs were pretty great as well! Love what you see in this post but want more? Like fun perfect pairs, designer influence profiles and profiles of contemporary designers? Thank goodness for you we’ve got a Facebook page and tweet a lot; you can keep up with everything Swank Lighting does. 
