Anchored in the vineyard, Niemeyer’s post-mortem pavilion at Château La Coste

It is the very last work of Oscar Niemeyer, the famous Brazilian architect who died at the age of 104, on December 5, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. This pioneer of modern architecture, crowned with the Pritzker and the Praemium Imperiale, had been invited to design a pavilion, a few years before his death, by the owner of Chateau La CostePaddy McKillen, who had a special relationship with him.

Read alsoOscar Niemeyer, the man of Rio in 13 monuments

He had chosen the place, in the middle of the vines, below the orange one of Richard Rogers, a technical feat cantilevered on the hill, with its impressive gallery perched 18 meters above the ground.

Contacted in 2010, it took the architect more than a year to complete the drawings and find the ideal location. In 2011, his team began field visits. Jair Valera – of Oscar Niemeyer Arquitetura Urbanismo S/C Ltd – completed this ultimate achievement.

A domain of 125 hectares

Over 500 m, the white-roofed pavilion winds and unrolls between the trellising of vines, to become one with nature. We…