Back to the Future in Algeria

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/magazine/back-to-the-future-in-algeria.html

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The legacy of Oscar Niemeyer, the Brazilian architect who died in 2012 at the age of 104, is most familiarly seen in the Modernist buildings he designed for Brasilia, the planned city that became the country’s capital in 1960. But his work in Algeria — not nearly so well known — has also enhanced his reputation as one of the 20th century’s great architects. Niemeyer, a Communist who fled to France following the military takeover of Brazil in 1964, designed several buildings in Algeria in the late 1960s (as well as a library in recent years that is still being built). The plan for one, La Coupole, a sports arena in Algiers, which can be seen in the slide show here, was made on a napkin. Mekki Damerdji, an architect and professor in Algiers, says Mentouri University (shown here), in the city of Constantine, is a favorite of his for its stark contrast to the more traditional buildings that dominate the country’s landscape. “We’re not used to seeing this shape in our country,” Damerdji says. “We haven’t anything like this in Algeria. It’s very beautiful. It’s like a bird.” <em>Julie Bosman</em>

Projects designed by Oscar Niemeyer: About 600

Projects designed in Algeria: 12

Number built so far: 4

Niemeyer’s favorite of his Algerian designs: The “Revolutionary” mosque in Algiers (unbuilt)

Niemeyer on his mosque design: “I like to push the laws of physics and matter to their utmost limits and create the unexpected.”