Brasília, a Realized Brazilian Utopia

Itamarati Palace
Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia

“Fifty Years of Development in Five” declared the then Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek when taking the reins of Brazil in 1956. His plans included BRASILIA, a new capital of the country. Brasilia was planned from scratch, an ideal city built in the middle of nowhere, on an empty plateau. Architect Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa the urban planner were the enablers.

Juscelino Kubitschek

Juscelino Kubitschek, the 21st Brazilian president from 1956 to 1961

Built in the country's heartland, Brasilia was to be the opposite of the old coastal capital Rio de Janeiro. It would be without the colonial legacy, without baroque and classical architecture, without slums. This was a new city of clean lines, rational planning, and space. Huge amounts of it. Built to be traversed not on foot but in the motorcar.

Brailia's panoramic view

From the air, the city was designed like an airplane - this was an era in love with air travel. The wings were where Brasilia's bureaucrats would live, the fuselage where they would work in sparkling new ministries.

Unlike the state legislative assemblies and municipal chambers, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house). The Congress meets annually in Brasília from 2 February to 22 December, with a mid-term break taking place between 17 July and 1 August
Congresso Nacional do Brasil. Unlike the state legislative assemblies and municipal chambers, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house).
Brasilia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Brasília. It was projected by Brazilian structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo, and was completed on May 31, 1970. The cathedral is a hyperboloid structure constructed from 16 concrete columns, weighing 90 tons each.
Brasilia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Brasília. It was projected by Brazilian structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo, and was completed on May 31, 1970. The cathedral is a hyperboloid structure constructed from 16 concrete columns, weighing 90 tons each.
The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the president of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasilia. As the seat of government, the term "Planalto" is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of government.
The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the president of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasilia. As the seat of government, the term "Planalto" is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of government.
The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge across Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It connects the eastern shore of the lake – where Lago Sul, Paranoá and Brasília International Airport are located – to Brasília's city center, via the Monumental Axis.
The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge across Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It connects the eastern shore of the lake – where Lago Sul, Paranoá and Brasília International Airport are located – to Brasília's city center, via the Monumental Axis.
locator-World-Heritage-Brasilia-Brazil

Brasilia is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's center-western region

At the close of the 20th century, Brasilia was the largest city in the world which had not existed at the beginning of the century. Brasilia has one of the highest population growth rates in Brazil, with annual growth of 2.82%, mostly due to internal migration. Its inhabitants include a foreign population of mostly embassy workers as well as large numbers of Brazilian internal migrants. Today, the city has important communities of immigrants and refugees. The city's Human Development Index was 0.936 in 2000 (developed level), and the city's literacy rate was around 95.65%.

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