Which architect designed many of Brasília's civic buildings, including its cathedral?

Oscar Niemeyer designed many of Brasília’s civic buildings, including its cathedral.

Niemeyer was the principal architect of Brasília’s monumental government district, working with urban planner Lúcio Costa and structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo. His designs gave the new capital its instantly recognizable modernist profile, using sweeping curves, dramatic slabs, ramps, and sculptural concrete forms.

His Brasília projects include the National Congress, the Palácio do Planalto, the Supreme Federal Court, the Palácio da Alvorada, and the Cathedral of Brasília. The cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Aparecida, is especially famous for its hyperboloid structure formed by 16 curving concrete columns.

Lúcio Costa is the likely source of a common mix-up: he designed Brasília’s overall Pilot Plan and street layout, while Niemeyer designed many of its major buildings. Landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx shaped important gardens, and Cardozo solved the demanding structural calculations for several landmarks.