Niemeyer in 2005. Photo: Camilla Maia

The great Brazilian architect turns 102 today—and, according to an Associated Press report last month, he is already back at work following his recent surgery for gallstones and an intestinal tumor. “I needed to keep busy, keep in touch with friends, maintain my rhythm of life,” he told a local newspaper. Read about Niemeyer’s work routine—as well as his advice to young architects and his thoughts on Brasília 50 years after its completion—in Eduardo Graça excellent 2006 interview.

Update: Niemeyer on his birthday: “Turning 102 is crap, and there is nothing to commemorate.”