Brasilia
Fifty years ago, the place where Brasilia now stands was nothing but a savanna. Built to be Brazil’s new capital, construction of Brasilia ended in 1960, after 4 years of intense work.
For visitors, Brasilia´s attractions are purely architectural. Brazil's best designers, architects, and artists were commissioned to create the monuments and buildings and make them visually attractive. A visit to Brasilia is a chance to see and judge their success.
The master plan of the city was selected after a national contest. The winning design was submitted by architect Lucio Costa. Costa's plan was pure architectural Modernism: a lot of concrete, planned neighborhoods, identical residential buildings and large avenues.
Viewed from the sky, the city looked like a bold and monumental airplane in flight. The fuselage contains the ministries, government buildings, the senate and chamber of deputies and a futuristic cathedral. The wings of the airplane are named the North Wing and South Wings, and this is where the residential part of the city is located.
Brasilia is the only city built in the 20th Century to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its unique design and fantastic architecture.
Located in the geographic center of Brasil, Brasilia is the place where Brazilians from all different cultures meet. It is also a perfect place to admire the creativity and originality of a genius of Modernist architecture.
