Oscar 102 / Brasilia 50
Client—Farès el-Dahdah / Architecture at Rice
Date—2010
Editor—Farès el-Dahdah
Production—Regal Printing
Distribution—RAM
8 inches by 10 inches, 152 pages, sewn paperback with laminated boards

This recently completed book, by Farès el-Dahdah, Associate Professor at Rice School of Architecture, is the 46th volume in the Architecture at Rice publication series. The book focuses on the spectacular architectural works of Oscar Niemeyer in Brasilia, Brazil's capital, and Niemeyer's role in the history of Brazil's contribution to modern architecture. Eight particular cases form the basis of the book, including proposals for the development of yet-to-be completed areas of Brasilia and insights into various causes celebres in Brasilia's architectural history.

The book's design uses a Brazil-inspired color gradient, moving from the pure yellow cover through various shades of green to arrive at a deep royal blue in the last chapter, to distinguish the eight cases. Each chapter begins with an essay and historical documentation, framed on a very light blue background, and proceeds into a dossier, which dissects the architectural and urban implications of the case and presents the material in a more diagrammatic manner. The book's hybrid binding uses book boards laminated with yellow paper, trimmed flush to expose the edge of the boards. Over time, these edges will soften and "weather" with handling.