Brazilian architect Niemeyer to be buried in Rio

(AP) Brazil's beloved architect Oscar Niemeyer will be buried in Rio de Janeiro.

The 104-year-old Niemeyer's body is being viewed at the City Palace in Rio, and a private funeral will be held later Friday.

Niemeyer designed the government buildings in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, much of the United Nation's complex and countless other works in several nations.

He rejected straight lines and sharp angles, preferring instead structures with sensuous curves and airy spaces.

Niemeyer, a lifelong devout Communist, was also known for his political stances and outspoken defense of Brazil's poor.

Niemeyer died late Wednesday from a respiratory infection. He was working on projects until his last days, with engineers visiting his hospital room.

On Thursday his body was viewed in Brasilia in the presidential palace he himself designed.