Brasília's Cathedral. Photo by Eduardo Deboni/ Flickr

Centenarian Oscar Niemeyer, the internationally acclaimed architect, just published a book with photos of the 16 gorgeous churches and chapels he conceived. A historic communist – who designed the headquarters of the French Communist Party and never rejected his Stalinist views -, he explained this way his many religious projects (on daily paper Folha de S. Paulo):

I felt that I should explain it, because I am a communist and have been working on so many churches. But I was born in a very religious family. My grandfather was religious. The house where I used to live had five windows and one of them was converted into an oratory by my grandmother. We had masses at home. All this is very natural.

Read more about Niemeyer here: Brasília, half a century later and Niemeyer at 102

Same cathedral, same photographer

Dom Bosco Sanctuary in Brasília. Photo by Moisés Nazário/ Flickr

Our Lady of Fatima, a very small church in Brasília. Photo by Fábio Pozzebon/ Agência Brasil

São Francisco de Assis church in Pampulha lake, Belo Horizonte. Photo by Sarah and Iain/ Flickr