Niemeyer celebrated his hundredth birthday at his family estate in Rio

Rio de Janeiro - The famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday among friends, family, and well-wishers. He welcomed them at the residence he built in 1953 as a family home in Rio de Janeiro.
    "I am just a human being like anyone else, nothing special. I don't know why I have lasted so long. One must have strong convictions to come to terms with the struggle that life is for him. Life is not fair, and what justifies our time is solidarity," he told reporters while having a cigarette and a glass of champagne.
    For 21 years, during the Brazilian military dictatorship, he lived in exile due to his leftist views, mainly in Paris. The Saturday evening party was held at the family residence Casa das Canoas in the suburbs of Rio. The house, surrounded by lush vegetation, stands on a mountaintop. From there, there is a view of the bay, and it now serves as a museum and the headquarters of Niemeyer’s foundation.
    The architect, who fulfilled the wishes of Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek and oversaw the extensive project of building the new capital city Brasília, received guests in the atrium, where he was accompanied by his daughter Ana María and wife Vera, whom he married last year.
    In Brazil, his birthday is celebrated as a national event. Among those who came to congratulate the famous compatriot were politicians, writers, and other personalities. Niemeyer, known for emphasizing the original appearance of his buildings, received the most prestigious architectural award in 1988 - the Pritzker Prize. Among his most famous buildings are government buildings in Brasília or the headquarters of the French Communist Party. He also participated in the designs of the UN building in New York.
    He was born in Rio and still works there. Among his recent works is a cultural center in Avilés, which is his very first project in Spain. He plans to oversee the restoration of the presidential palace in Brasília.