Let the Rio 2016 Games begin! Here’s your 90-second A-Z of Brazilian culture

As all eyes turn to Brazil, the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, we bring you an alternative, cultural guide to the country that gave the world Gisele, Pelé and Walter Salles. Watch the video above for your A to Z of Brazil.

Le Corbusier —

1887-1965
French-Swiss
Le Corbusier is arguably the 20th century's most important architect. The Swiss-born French godfather of modernism -- real name Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris -- set the template for the "International Style's" clean geometric forms in concrete and ste

He designed more than 75 buildings in 12 different countries, but these creations are swamped by hundreds of incredibly ambitious, never-built plans for buildings and citi

But he has also divided critics right down the line. As the modern city's most influential designer, Le Corbusier takes blame for both his own rigid formalism and the failings of dreary post-war tower blocks, built by inferior imposters without the same focus on space, light, and communit

Quote: "A house is a machine for living in
Iconic building: Unité d'Habitation, Marseille

Charles and Ray Eames —

1907-1978 and 1912-1988
American

The Eameses designed some of California's most iconic post-war houses -- and almost everything inside them.

The couple married in 1941, and worked together to ingeniously mold new materials such as plywood and fiberglass into expressive furniture, and create bright and airy houses from prefabricated materials.

Arguably their most influential creation was the home they lived in: a villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean, built in days from steel parts intended for industrial construction

Quote: "Take your pleasures seriously."
Iconic building: The Eames House, California

Norman Foster —

1935 -
British

His buildings are woven into the fabric of world capitals. Berlin's Reichstag dome, New York's Hearst Tower, Hong Kong's HSBC Building, London's "Gherkin" all bear the architect's High-Tech touches

Manchester-born Normal Foster's buildings wear their steel skeleton on the outside, but combine modernism's clear structure with a high-sheen finish

Currently building the 175-acre halo-shaped Cupertino "Campus" for Apple, Foster was among the first to put environmental awareness at the centre of his design -- creating buildings such as Frankfurt's Commerzbank Headquarters that adapt to make best use of natural light and ventilation.
His practice has been voted 'most admired architectural practice' by other architects, eight times in a row.

Quote: "As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown
Iconic building: Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, Hong Kong

Oscar Niemeyer —

1907-2012
Brazilian

Oscar Niemeyer's buildings summoned into being a modern Brazil, with its own unmistakeable style, in the middle of the 20th century, and is renowned globally as one of modernism's greatest masters.

A student of Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer took his clean style and added sweeping curves that he claimed were inspired by Brazilian women.

Amongst his creations the United Nations Headquarters in New York (a collaboration with his mentor) and the white concrete civic buildings of Brasilia, Brazil's capital (inaugurated 1960).

Niemeyer worked until his death at 104, in December 2012, and his contribution to world architecture can be seen in over 500 buildings across North and South America, Africa and Europe.

Quote: "My work is not about 'form follows function,' but 'form follows beauty' or, even better, 'form follows feminine.'"
Iconic building: Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Brazil

Jørn Utzon —

1918-2008
Danish

Utzon took inspiration from the growth patterns of nature to create organic buildings that emerge from their surroundings.
When he won architecture's top award, the Pritzker prize in 2003, judges praised Utzon's inspired appropriation of older influences "touching on the Mayan, Chinese and Japanese, Islamic cultures, and many others, including his own Scandinavian legacies."

Utzon's work encompasses huge variation, but his greatest creation is undeniably the Sydney Opera House, one of the 20th century's most distinctive and evocative buildings.

Quote: "I like to be on the edge of the possible
Iconic building: Sydney Opera House, Australia

Mies Van der Rohe —

1886-1969
German-American

Van der Rohe's influence can be seen in every modern building that reveals the industrial materials used in its construction.

Like his International School contemporaries, Van der Rohe's designs expressed paramount simplicity and a tendency to minimalism -- "skin and bones architecture," he called it. His single story Farnsworth House, built as a retreat for a physician friend, contains just a single room, edged with glass.

He believed buildings should express the age in which they are built, and his stand as monuments to the industrial spirit of the 20th century.

His first tall building, New York's Seagram Building, banished exterior brick and stonework in favor of a clean glass and steel skin -- creating a blueprint for the 20th century skyscraper.

Quote: "Less is more"
Iconic building: Barcelona Pavilion, Spain

Frank Lloyd Wright —

1867-1959
American

Born in an era when American homeowners aped the ornate style of 19th century European homes, Frank Lloyd Wright left behind a legacy of striking, original architecture that helped define 20th century America.

Wright's Fallingwater, a Pennsylvanian house built on top of a waterfall, remains one of the most celebrated homes ever built -- a recognizably "American" design of cantilevered balconies that stood apart from anything that came before.

Wright said his inspiration came from the "inner harmony" he saw in nature, and his sporadic monumental civic structures -- notably his (crowning achievement) Guggenheim Museum in New York -- take inspiration from the patterns found in shells, trees, and plants.

He left behind over 500 completed buildings. A national survey by the American Institute of Architects has named Frank Lloyd Wright the greatest American architect of all time.

Quote: "Space is the breath of art."
Iconic building: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania

Zaha Hadid —

1950-
Iraqi-British

No architect working today divides opinion like Zaha Hadid. The first woman to take architecture's highest honor, the Pritzker Prize, she has won over business and world leaders to design buildings across the globe -- from London's Olympic Aquatics Centre to Beijing's Galaxy Soho Mall and the proposed Al-Wakrah stadium in Qatar.
World cities are now queuing up to have her wavy imprint stamped on them.

Criticism is never far away, with detractors claiming her buildings aren't built for people and grossly disregard their surroundings.

But, undeniably a trailblazer in a white, male-dominated profession, today Hadid's stock has never been higher, with defenders saying she is simply too far ahead of her time.

Quote: "Architecture is really about well-being... On the one hand it's about shelter, but it's also about pleasure."
Iconic building: Heydar Aliyev Centre, Azerbaijan

The A-Z of archietcture —

Federico Babina's Archibet introduces 18 more architects, including Renzo Piano, Alvar Aalto, and Jean Nouvel.

Archibet by Federico Babina (Laurence King, $12.95)

'E' is for 'Eames'...Learn the A to Z of architecture

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A is for Astrud Gilberto

It was pure luck which led bossa nova singer Astrud Gilberto to record “The Girl from Ipanema” in 1964, a record which would go on to sell millions of copies.

Following the success of the original song, Brazilian musician João Gilberto, who was collaborating with Jazz artist Stan Getz at the time, decided to record an English language version; he chose his wife Astrud because she was the only person in the recording session who spoke more than phrasebook English.

B is for Beatriz Milhazes

Acclaimed artist Beatriz Milhazes is known for her geometric shapes, technicolor palette and art works which draw from every corner of Brazilian culture; from lacework and carnival decorations, to baroque architecture and the upbeat energy of popular Brazilian music.

C is for Cinema Novo

Cinema Novo, meaning ‘new cinema’ in Portuguese, is a film genre which originated in Brazil in the 1960s. Cinema Novo films were stylistically innovative, politically critical, intellectual, and often focused on the subject of social equality.

D is for Design by Isay Weinfeld

One of Brazil’s top architects, Isay Weinfeld is also known for his award-winning furniture designs. Ranging from the interiors of restaurants, to private homes and commercial spaces, Weinfeld’s creations draw on the 1950s Brazilian modernism, and are characterized by sleek, angular lines and natural materials.

E is for Ernesto Neto

Ernesto Neto is famous for his visual art installations of large, soft, biomorphic sculptures; crocheted knits and suspended cocoons, filled with everything from aromatic spices, to candy and colorful Styrofoam balls. Innately interactive, Neto’s installations are made to be walked through and touched.

F is for Francisco Costa

Having previously worked for Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford, Francisco Costa was the Creative Director of Womenswear at Calvin Klein Collections since 2003. Recently announced to be leaving the company, Costa is credited with having revamped the classic American brand with his focus on minimalist and restrained shapes.

G is for Gisele Bündchen

Arguably one of the world’s most successful supermodels, Gisele Bündchen was one of the first Brazilian models to find success abroad in the 1990s. In 2015 she was reported to be the world’s highest paid model, and throughout her career has achieved the kind of fame which warrants the use of a single name moniker; Gisele.

H is for Hélio Oiticica

The late Hélio Oiticica is regarded as one of the most innovative Brazilian artists of the 20th century. Best known for being part of the Brazilian avant-garde ‘Neo-Concrete’ movement of the 1950s and 60s, Oiticica produced paintings and three dimensional objects which experimented with form, color and material.

I is for Inhotim

Inhotim is an outdoor art gallery and botanical garden, sprawling over thousands of acres in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, founded by former mining magnate Bernardo Paz. The botanical gardens surrounding the contemporary art museum were designed by Paz’s friend, Roberto Burle Marx and the pavilions include over 500 artworks by some of the world’s leading artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Hélio Oiticica, Anish Kapoor and Vik Muniz.

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Inhotim: Inside Brazil's sprawling art park

01:02 - Source: CNN

J is for Joga Bonito

“Joga Bonito”, the beautiful game, has become synonymous with football in Brazil after the term was used by acclaimed player Pelé. It has now entered the language as an endearing description of the game, in a country where football reigns supreme as the most popular sport ever.

K is for Kogan, Marcio

Marcio Kogan is considered one of the top contemporary architects working in Brazil today, and is known for his focus on indoor-outdoor “tropical modernism”. Following an early career as a film director, where he worked with close friend Isay Wienfeld, Kogan went on to found his own studio, MK27 that continues to produce original films as well as buildings.

L is for Leminski

Poet, expert judo sensei, writer, teacher, literary critic, and translator, Paulo Leminski became known in the 1970s and 80s, for his haiku and ‘concrete poems’; a style of poetry that sees words shaped to depict the subject they represent.

M is for MCs

Brazil is known for its active MC community. Some well-known names and crews include Racionais MCs, Rappin’ Hood, GOG, Emicida and Flora Matos.

N is for Niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect who is now considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Known for his work with curves and reinforced concrete, some of Niemeyer’s most famous buildings include the National Congress building in Brasilia, the Niterói Arts Centre in Rio, and his collaborative work on the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art —

Niemeyer was considered one of the patriachs of Brazilian modernist architecture. He'd been hospitalized since early November suffering from kidney failure. This is an aerial view taken on April 30, 2009 of the famous Museum of Contemporary Art in Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro, designed by Niemeyer.

Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center —

Popularly known as "el Niemeyer" in Spanish, the Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre in Aviles, Spain, was inaugurated in 2011. Niemeyer is said to have called this work his "most important and beloved outside Brazil."

Cathedral of Brazilia (1960's) —

The cornerstone of Niemeyer's Cathedral of Brasilia was laid in 1958. This hyperboloid structure consists of 16 concrete pillars, each weighing 90 tons, and covers a circular area that is 70 feet in diameter. This photo was taken in the 1960s, but the building was finally inaugurated in 1970.

Brasilia's Cathedral interior —

Colored glass panes stretch between the cathedral's pillars and let natural light into the building during the day.

Federal Supreme Court in Brasilia —

Night view of the columns of the Federal Supreme Court in Brasilia taken on 11 December 2007, designed by Niemeyer and inaugurated in 1960.

Oscar Niemeyer with his grandson —

Niemeyer is kissed by great-great grandson Ivan during his 104th birthday celebration on December 15, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro.

Planalto Palace, Brazil —

View of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia.

Ravello's Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer —

The Amalfi coast and the mountains are reflected in Ravello's Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer the day of its official inauguration on January 29, 2009. After ten years of controversy, the auditorium opened in the southern Italian town of Ravello on the Amalfi coast.

Pele kisses hand of Oscar Niemeyer —

Brazilian football legend Edson Arntes do Nascimento, known as Pele, kisses Niemeyer's hand on November 4, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro during a press conference. Niemeyer was in charge of the design for a Football Museum in Santos.

National Museum of the Republic —

The National Museum of the Republic in Brasilia was inaugurated in 2006, on Niemeyer's 99th birthday. The museum, which is also known as National Museum Honestino Guimarães, was named after a student by that name who fought for democracy and disappeared.

Oscar Niemeyer Museum —

The first building of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum was designed by him in 1967. The museum, located in Curitiba, Brazil, first opened in 1978, but more than two decades later, further expansions were made and the museum was reopened in 2003.

Oscar Niemeyer Museum —

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum has about 35,000 square meters of building area and more than 17,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitions -- making it the biggest museum in Latin America.

Brazil's National Congress —

In the 1960s, Niemeyer designed the National Congress building located in Brasilia.

Oscar Niemeyer sculpture —

Cuban dancers perform in front of a 15 meter giant sculpture offered by Niemeyer. The sculpture represent a Cuban fighting against an imperialist monster.

Footbridge in Rocinha —

Niemeyer designed this footbridge in Rocinha, which is located in the south of Rio de Janeiro.

Church on grounds of presidential palace —

Circa 1955: A modern church in the grounds of the presidential palace in Brasilia designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The church is connected to the palace by an underground hallway.

Oscar Niemeyer —

Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer died just days short of his 105th birthday, on December 5, 2012. Here, he's seen on the balcony of his studio in Copacabana in 2007.

Photos: The works of Oscar Niemeyer, architect

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O is for Olympics

Following the 2012 World Cup, Brazil will be the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Taking place in Rio de Janeiro in August, the event will attract over 10,500 athletes from 206 countries.

P is for Pelé

Often regarded as the greatest football player of all time, Pelé is a national hero in Brazil. Named World Player of the Century and one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine, Pelé is now retired and dedicates himself to being a worldwide ambassador for the sport.

Andy Warhol - Pele —

The grace and skill of Brazilian legend Pele captured the eye of pop art pioneer Andy Warhol, who produced this portrait after meeting the footballer in the 1970s. It features in an exhibition called "Pele: Art, Life, Football" at the Halcyon Gallery in London. Pele said of Warhol: "He gave continuity to my life and my message outside of the football pitch ... It's because of him that today you see many artists who have works of me."

Luiz Paulo Machado - PELE —

Luiz Paulo Machado's famous photograph was taken during a friendly match in October 1976 where a heart appears on Pele's bright yellow Brazil shirt. It earned the title "The Heart of the King." Pele won three World Cup titles with his country, in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Pedro Paricio - Hermes XXI —

Born into poverty in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Pele's early steps in the game were made with a grapefruit at his feet. He would go to become one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Paricio's work depicts Pele executing an overhead kick.

Louis Sidoli - Famous for 15 Centuries —

Loius Sidoli's work is named after Warhol's famous quote about Pele. The artist revisited his "15 minutes of fame" quote to predict "15 centuries" of acclaim for the Brazilian, such was his talent.

Stuart Mcalpine Miller - Playing the Field —

Stuart McAlpine Miller's piece depicts Pele alongside famous Walt Disney characters. Pele said of the works at the Halcyon Gallery: "Every artist has a message: that is the poor person who has won in life."

Russell Young - Pele Brazil —

Pele was a loyal servant to the club he signed with age 16 -- Santos. He spent 18 years there as a player, winning over 20 trophies and scoring more than 600 goals. "I had many offers to play for Real Madrid, in Milan and Manchester United," Pele said. "However Santos was doing well, I was playing well. I didn't want to leave. Nowadays, players leave very early."

Raphael Mazzucco - Brazil —

Raphael Mazzucco's work depicts Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which Brazil won. But Pele's aims were more modest when he started playing soccer: "The most I ever thought was that my dad was a good football player, he scored a lot of goals. His name was Dondinho. I wanted to be like him."

Stuart Mcalpine Miller - Pele triptych —

Stuart McAlpine Miller's Pele Triptych captures the color and passion Pele played with throughout his 21-year career. Asked how he thinks the game has changed, the Brazilian told CNN: "In the past, it was a profession filled with love, now it's just a profession."

Russell Young - Pele Bicycle Kick —

"What we are showing here is the good side of the athlete, the positive side of the athlete that can serve as an inspiration for youngsters, children," Pele said. This Russell Young piece underlines the athleticism and dynamism that Pele possessed.

Raphael Mazzucco - Pele —

If Pele hadn't chosen a path in football, what might he have been? "Well, look it's a little difficult, because I really love composing music, playing the guitar, playing the violin," he revealed. "So perhaps if I wasn't a footballer I think I would compose music and sing."

Pele: The Heart of a King

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Q is for Queens of the Carnival

The annual Carnival celebration engulfs Brazil in an explosion of music, samba dancing and extravagant costumes. The festivities are embodied by the Carnival Queens, or the Rainha de Bateria, chosen to dance in front of the drum section of each samba school’s troupe, in bombastic outfits that can take weeks or months to craft.

R is for Roberto Burle Marx

A modernist landscape architect, the late Roberto Burle Marx became world famous for his parks and gardens. Some of his most well-known work include the mosaic pavements of the Copacabana promenade in Rio, the Aterro do Flamengo Park in Sao Paolo, and the hanging gardens of the Ministry of Education and Public Health in Rio de Janeiro.

S is for Street Art

Brazil enjoys a vibrant, but also politically and socially aware street art community. Artists include the twins Os Gêmeos, known for their giant yellow characters and commentary on Sao Paulo’s social reality, Nunca, who is inspired by the indigenous culture of Brazil, and GAIS, known for his massive, colorful and modernist murals.

T is for Tudo bem, tudo bom

The most common greeting in Brazil, “tudo bem?” and “tudo bom” are used interchangeably, and literally mean, ‘Everything well?’ and ‘Everything good?’. To pass as a local, you should answer tudo bom or simply, tudo.

U is for UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A country bursting with rich cultural and historical landmarks, Brazil figures prominently on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some of these include the historic town of Ouro Preto, an old gold mining town, Iguaçu National Park with its famous waterfalls, and the Atlantic Rainforest on the southern coast of Brazil.

V is for Vital Brazil

Vital Brazil was a physicist, who discovered a polyvalent anti-ophidic serum used to treat bites of venomous snakes of the Crotalus, Bothrops and Elaps genera. He is considered one of the pioneers of anti-venomous serotherapy.

W is for Walter Salles

The internationally renowned film director Walter Salles is perhaps most famous for his 2004 film, “The Motorcycle Diaries”, which went on to become a box-office hit in both Latin America and Europe. He has since directed the films “Dark Water”, “Linha de Passe” and “On the Road”.

X is for Xica da Silva

Born in 1732, Francisca da Silva de Oliveira (aka Chica da Silva) was a Brazilian woman who rose to wealth and power despite being born into slavery. Her story has inspired various films, books and plays, where her name is often changed to Xica da Silva.

Y is for Yomar Augusto

Yomar Augusto is a multimedia designer, typographic artist and graphic designer from Brazil. Raised in Brasilia and establishing his own studio in Rio de Janeiro, Augusto has since gone on to study, work and teach in the Netherlands, New York and California.

Z is for Zanini de Zanine

Designer Zanini de Zanine is the creative force behind Studio Zanini in Rio de Janeiro. Working within the fields of interior design and architecture, Zanine is known for using ecologically conscious wood, and reclaimed materials for his furniture.