Brasilia
was constructed between 1956 and 1960, during the
government of President Juscelino Kubitschek. It
was inaugurated, as Brazil's new capital, in April
21, 1960. Its master plan ("Plano Piloto")
was conceived by Lucio Costa, and its major buildings
were designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Seen from above,
Brasilia looks like an airplane (symbolizing the
fastest way out of town) or a bow and arrow (signifying
the penetration of the interior and the destruction
of the indigenous people). The planned city faces
the giant artificial Lake “Paranoá”. In the plane’s
fuselage (or the arrow) are all the government buildings
and monuments. The plaza of three powers – the Palácio
do Planalto, the Palácio do Congresso and the Palácio
da Justiça – is in the cockpit. Out on the wings
(asas) are block after block of apartment buildings
(known as “Superquadras” or “Quadras”) but little
else.
The
city was planned for only 500,000 inhabitants, but
Brasilia has seen its population grow much more
than expected. Several satellite towns have been
created over the years to house the extra inhabitants.
Brasilia's total population (including the satellite
cities) is around 2,000,000 inhabitants. In 1987
the city was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage
Sites, being considered one of the major examples
of this century’s modern movement in architecture
and urban planning. For those that are not going
to Brasilia on business, then the time of one day
would be sufficient to visit the main tourist attractions
and may stay over the night, before go on to other
sites in Brazil.
