Brasilia, Brazil
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Historical Function
Administrative Status
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Location and site
Historical Reference
- The city of Brasilia was constructed as part of a policy to enhance Brazil's interior territory. The colonial conquest had left a country with an essential coastal population, and it was the port cities that continued to develop in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- The idea of constructing a capital city at the centre of the country dates to the end of the 17th century. In 1922, which marked the centenary of Brazil's independence, a stone was erected on the chosen site as a symbol of this idea. The constitution of 1891 foresaw the establishment of a federal district at the heart of the country.
- When Juscelino Kubitschek, the former Governor of the State of Minas Gerais, became President of Brazil in 1955, it was decided that the seat of power should be transferred from Rio de Janiera to Brasilia. This decision affirmed Brazil's desire for progress.
- It took five years (1955-1960) to construct the new federal capital and the routes crossing the Mato Grosso and the Amazon. The work was carried out according to the design of two Brazilians: urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Urban Morphology
The plan of Brasilia, which is inspired on Corbusian principles, is based on a rational organisation of urban activities. The ensemble, which is organised around two intersecting axes, is in the form of an airplane or a giant bird flying towards the southeast. The principal axis, 6 km. long and 350 m. wide, is reserved for administrative activities; commercial and residential quarters, in quadrants around a church and a school, developed along the length of the 20 km. long transversal axis. At the intersection of the two axes, the routes are superimosed to ensure efficient management of traffic.
The monumental ensemble brings together symmetrical forms and refined perspectives. In the context of the wide esplanades, the tall rectangular volumes of the skyscrapers are balanced by curved surfaces, creating a unified architectural ensemble that is symbolically charged as Brazil's new capital city.
Registration Criteria
C (i) (iv) Not available.
Contact
| Dr. Agnelo Queiroz Governor of the Federal District | Governo do Distrito Federal, Administra]cao Regional de Brasilia SBN-Quadra 02 - Bloco K - Asa Norte Asa Norte Brasilia, DF, Brazil 70.040-020 | Tel: +55.61 3327.5000 / 3355 8000 Fax: Email: Malves.machado@gmail.com |
| Sra. Flávia Malkine Araujo Chefe da Assessoria Internacional | Governo do Distrito Federal Palácio do Buriti Praça do Buriti Sala T 09 Brasilia, DF, Brasil CEP: 70075-900 | Tel: (61) 3961-1511 Fax: (61) 3961-4521 Email: assessoria.internacional@buriti.df.gov.br |
| Mr. Antonio Menezes Junior Director | Património Histórico e Artístico Via Epia Sul - Lote "D" - HJKO Núcleo Bandeirante Brasilia, DF, Brazil CEP: 71735-900 | Tel: +55.61 552.3590 Fax: +55.61 552.4838 Email: |