He also designed the United Nations building in New York.

Oscar Niemeyer has been reflecting on his career and what motivates him.

"Architecture has brought me to this," he said.

"I wanted to create architecture that would amaze someone, that was different. Otherwise it is not architecture.

"Architecture is creative and inventive. It has to work well, have symmetry. If you want to create a work of art it has to bring emotion and surprise and that is what I modestly try to do." - By ABC Australia Copyright