Oscar Niemeyer, modernist architect of the curved line, fled Brazil’s right wing military dictatorship in 1965, and set out on a self-imposed exile, which lasted nearly twenty years. During this time, he opened up an office on the Champs Élysées in Paris, and began taking international commissions.

Oscar Niemeyer, one of Brazil’s most celebrated architects, and an internationally recognized titan of 20th century modern design, introduced curves to a modernist style that almost exclusively celebrated straight lines and angles.