Oscar Niemeyer shaped Brazilian modernism in ways few architects ever have. Known for his love of curves and sculptural silhouettes, he famously said, “Right angles don’t attract me,” and he meant it — his buildings look more like art than traditional architecture. If you’re planning a design-driven getaway, these are the Oscar Niemeyer works to put on your list — the coolest, most iconic buildings that are genuinely worth travelling for.
Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) (Niterói, Brazil)
Without a doubt, MAC is Niemeyer’s most famous building, and it’s easy to see why. It looks like it landed on the edge of Niterói right from another planet, thanks to the UFO-like disk hovering over the cliffside. The museum’s circular form and shallow, reflective pool were inspired by the curves of the surrounding coastline, since Niemeyer wanted his architecture to mimic nature. Add in the swirling red-carpet walkway, and it’s no surprise this place is a pilgrimage site for architecture lovers.
Cathedral of Brasília (Brasília, Brazil)
If one building captures Niemeyer’s belief that architecture should feel poetic, it’s this one. The Cathedral of Brasília rises from the ground with its 16 curved columns stretching toward the sky like hands in prayer. Inside, there are floating angel sculptures and stained-glass panels washed in blues and greens.
Palácio da Alvorada (Brasília, Brazil)
Niemeyer designed the official residence of Brazil’s president to look impossibly weightless, almost as if the entire structure were floating above the water. Completed in 1958, it has white columns that perfectly capture the simplicity of midcentury modernism. Set next to a reflecting pool, the design dips right into the water.
Ibirapuera Park Complex (São Paulo, Brazil)
Think of this as Niemeyer’s architectural playground. Commissioned for São Paulo’s 400th anniversary, he teamed up with landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, and together they created one of the most iconic urban parks in the world. It’s dotted with Niemeyer’s signatures: long white pavilions, curved walkways, and that sharp red ramp shooting out of the Oca Auditorium like a piece of abstract artwork. Guests can wander between museums, lakes, and open lawns, making it casual, cultural, and very São Paulo.
Copan Building (São Paulo, Brazil)
The Copan is quite literally Niemeyer’s most ‘lived-in’ masterpiece. This massive residential building curls through downtown São Paulo like a concrete wave, housing over a thousand apartments. It’s one of the best examples of his ability to turn something functional into something beautiful, using curves to soften what could’ve been just another high-rise.
Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre (Avilés, Spain)
One of Niemeyer’s few European projects, this cultural complex feels like a love letter to his later style. Think huge curves, bright colors, and an almost futuristic vibe. The buildings sit across a wide plaza, connected by walkways that encourage wandering (very Niemeyer). It’s a fun reminder that his style traveled well beyond Brazil.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
One of Niemeyer’s earliest pieces (and perhaps one of his most groundbreaking), the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi was completed in 1943 and shocked Brazil at the time. It’s a chapel made entirely of sweeping parabolic arches with abstract murals by Candido Portinari. Critics hated it at first (the church was actually barred from hosting Mass for years), but these days, it’s considered a modernist icon.
The National Congress of Brazil (Brasília, Brazil)
You don’t have to be into politics to appreciate how impressive this complex is. Two bowl-shaped structures (one up, one down) sit beside a pair of tall, bold skyscrapers. The symmetry is on point, the scale is massive, and the whole thing looks like a modernist vision. If Brasília is Niemeyer’s architectural hub, this is its core.
