The 99-year-old architect himself was present at the ceremony, who admitted that this building was the most difficult project in his work, and on the way to its implementation, he faced the most serious obstacles in his entire career. Most of them were of a financial nature, but there were also technical difficulties: back in September last year, Niemeyer was forced to postpone the opening of the theater due to problems with its decor, acoustics in the auditorium and stage lighting.
The R $ 14 million (€ 5 million) building will bear the name of its architect.
The theater stands on an open area of 1.7 hectares, which will serve as a continuation of its auditorium. According to Niemeyer's idea, the People's Theater (this is its official name) should serve not only those who have money for tickets: the stage can be opened to the outside so that up to 10,000 spectators gathered around the theater building can see the performance.
And the auditorium itself is small - 350 seats. The interior of the building is designed in yellow and green colors - the colors of the national flag of Brazil, which should also emphasize the “nationality” of the building.
The white concrete building itself is intricately curved, with the main façade decorated with yellow ceramic panels reproduced by Niemeyer's sketches. The back wall is a huge mirror that reflects the sky and the Guanabara Bay, separating Niteroi from the architect's hometown, Rio de Janeiro.
This is the second construction of the master completed in Niteroi, four more are under construction. After their completion, this city will be able to match the number of buildings in Niemeyer with Brasilia.
