Pilot Plan of Brasília

Welcome to Brah-zeel-yah, the bold modernist experiment that reshaped the geography and identity of Brazil. As you stand in the heart of the Pla-no Pee-lo-to, or Pilot Plan, you are witnessing the realization of a…

The Eixo Monumental is the physical and symbolic spine of Brasília. Stretching for several kilometers, it is along this axis that the primary functions of the Brazilian state are concentrated. …

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Aparecida is perhaps Oscar Niemeyer’s most recognized masterpiece. Standing as a stark contrast to the nearby National Museum, its structure consists of sixteen curved concrete columns…

While the Monumental Axis is the public face of the city, the Super-qua-dras, or Superblocks, are where the life of Brasília happens. These residential zones, located in the wings of the 'airplane,' were Costa’s attempt to create…

Brasília is located on the high central plateau, over 1,100 meters above sea level, in a region characterized by the dry, scrubby vegetation of the Cerrado. To make this semi-arid environment livable and to secure a water supply…

To understand Brasília, one must acknowledge the 'Kandangos'—the thousands of workers, primarily from the impoverished Northeast, who moved to the center of the country to build the city. They worked in grueling conditions,…

The Itamaraty Palace, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is often cited as Niemeyer's most elegant work. Unlike the austere ministries nearby, Itamaraty is a delicate box of glass and concrete that appears to…

As you finish your exploration of the Pilot Plan, look around at the vast horizons of the Brazilian highlands. Brasília is a city that tried to leapfrog over the problems of the past and build the future in a single, audacious…