Fundação Getulio Vargas held today, December 16th, the inaugural ceremony of the Oscar Niemeyer Tower - a building part of its cultural and educational complex, located at Botafogo Beach, in Rio de Janeiro. The project of the complex was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the 1950s and this is the first of the works by the architect to be inaugurated after his death.The new complex - built by Carioca Engenharia - was modified to suit the purposes of FGV today and brings benefits that go beyond FGV's operational area, expanding the number of public properties offered by the institution and the modernization of Botafogo neighborhood.  It will bring together a large number of activities not only in the educational, but also in the cultural and business fields, says FGV's president, Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal.The numbers are impressive. It comprises almost 45,000 square meters of built area, on a plot of almost 9,000 square meters. The volume of concrete used is equivalent to 800 concrete mixer trucks, and up to 619 workers simultaneously employed on these worksites, with no accidents during the three years in which the complex was built. The tower of 19 floors is 92.21 meters high, and it has two underground parking lots that can support 500 cars.  Also, eight smart elevators will transport the fixed population expected for the building - 2,500 people per day.The ceremonyThe opening ceremony of FGV's new premises was also a tribute to the architect Oscar Niemeyer, who would have completed his 106th birthday yesterday. I'm very happy and excited because we've finally opened this building, which looks beautiful, said Oscar?s nephew and architect responsible for the construction, João Niemeyer.The first one to speak, João Niemeyer stressed the long and close relationship between his uncle and FGV.  The construction of the complex deepened this friendship, he said, and observed that the time between the initial project and its implementation benefitted the final product. The building has cutting edge technology in automation and sustainability. The architect also thanked everyone involved in the construction, the government of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the artists whose works are part of the collection specially chosen to adorn the complex, and the presidency of FGV. It's great to work with people who always want the best, he praised.FGV's president, Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, outlined a brief history of the Institution. He talked about its origin during the Vargas government in 1944, its first president and creator, Luís Simões Lopes, and about inviting Oscar Niemeyer to design their facilities - which expanded with the growth of its activities and its relevance to Brazil. Oscar, besides having designed Brasília, was a close friend of Dr. Simões and Dr. Flôres, FGV's second president he said.Simonsen Leal mentioned the engineering innovation that the proposal presented at that time. The main offices were finished in 1968 and represented a structural challenge with its pillars in V. And they have been our symbol ever since. And he also recalled the 45 years that have passed since the implementation of the project until today, when it was completed. These have not been easy times for Brazil, and neither was it easy for us to get the project off the paper.According to FGV's president, the opening of the Tower and its complex has several meanings. Today it represents an achievement, a possibility of progress for FGV and the location where we operate, the neighborhood of Botafogo, he said. Simonsen Leal also said that this victory is the result of joint work, and mentioned the architect Oscar Niemeyer, his nephew, the former mayor Luís Paulo Conde, the current vice-mayor Adilson Pires, and all those directly or indirectly involved in the construction, such as Carioca Engenharia and FGV's employees, and every president that it has ever had.A special thanks was dedicated to FGV's Vice-President, Sergio Quintella. Every great team has a great leader. And this leader is Dr. Sergio Quintella, who also built Rio-Niterói Bridge and the Itaipu power plant, said Simonsen Leal.At the end, there was the unveiling of the plaque - made by Simonsen Leal and the widow of Oscar Niemeyer, Vera Lúcia Guimarães Niemeyer.