Thursday, November 15, 2007

BRASÍLIA, CAPITAL OF BRAZIL

Brasília is the capital of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 2,383,784 as of the 2006 census estimate, and is the seat of the federal government: the President (residing in the Palácio da Alvorada), the Brazilian supreme court and the Brazilian parliament. Brasília is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.


These photos were taken by my son Fernando in June 2007




Catedral Metropolitana "Nossa Senhora Aparecida"

Brasília's Cathedral - Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida, by Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian Architect, born 1907.

Our Lady of Aparecida is the patron saint of Brazil, represented by a statue of the Virgin Mary.






A Catedral, o Congresso Nacional e a Esplanada dos Ministérios

The Catedral, National Congress and Ministries Esplanade

Fernando in front the Ministries Esplanades at left and the Catedral at right


Palácio do Itamaraty

Itamaraty Palace



Palácio do Itamaraty. Em primeiro plano a escultura "Meteoro", do escultor Bruno Giorgi.

Itamaraty Palace is the name of the building of the head office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Itamaraty is one of Niemeyer's most radiant buildings. The bridge over an enormous ornamental pool dotted with islands of tropical plants leads to one of the largest public art collections in Brazil. The Brazilian artist Bruno Giorgi (1905 - 1993) (the same artist who created the Hanging Angels in the Brasilia Cathedral) carved the sculpture "Meteoro" from a single four-ton block of Carrar marble, which has been exposed in the water garden in front of the Palace since 1967.

Palácio do Planalto

The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília.


O Palácio da Alvorada, residência oficial do Presidente da República

The Palace of the Dawn is the official residence of the Presidente of Brazil. The palace was designed, along the rest of the city of Brasília, by Oscar Niemeyer and inaugurated in 1958


Congresso Nacional

National Congress

Brazil's bicameral National Congress, consists of Senate of Brazil (the upper house) and and the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil (the lower house)

National Congress

Museu Nacional, Complexo Cultural da República
Cultural Complex of the Republic

View from the interior of the Cultural Complex of the Republic

Procuradoria Geral da República

Federal Prosecutors' Office is another project by Oscar Niemeyer




The Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, also known as the 'President JK Bridge' or the 'JK Bridge', crosses Lake Paranoá in Brasília. It is named afterJuscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, former President of Brazil. It was designed by architect Alexandre Chan and structural engineer Mário Vila Verde.



Ponte Juscelino Kubitschek, também conhecida como "Ponte JK", foi inaugurada em dezembro de 2002.


Photos by Fernando de A. Mascaro


Click on photos to enlarge

31 comments:

  1. So many white structures in that area. Very interesting bridge and Prosecutor's Office building designs.

    Hugs!

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  2. wow :) if all cities were this beautiful !

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  3. Amazing architecture!! Niemeyer is also the architect of the Communist Party building in Paris, also a fantastic building that the former rich party now may have to give up!

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  4. The buildings and bridge look like modern art!

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  5. I first learnt about the extraordinary buildings of Brasilia when I was doing a general art subject at university in the 80's. I saw a documentary called "Shock of the New" by art historian/critic - Robert Hughes. I learnt lots of things at uni - most I have forgotten, but those buildings of Brasilia always stuck in my mind.

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  6. Sónia, fotos maravilhosas com informação excelente.

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  7. Such beautiful shapes all the buildings have...A very nice place to explore. They are all fun.

    Take care,
    Connie

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  8. What a pleasure to see ALL this fabulous Architecture, Sonia.....that one building--Itamaraty, is interesting to me because it is kind of indicitive of the period when it was built...New York's Lincoln Center has a similar loook and even our Music Center here in Los Angeles...I LOVE that first building, too....and well, so very many others. Neimeyer? I have to look and see if he designed The Directors Guild building here....the round one in this post is quite similar, too....!

    Wonderful, as always Sonia. Such a pleasure always to be introduced to more and more of your Beautiful country...! I'm going to look up that round building here and I'll come back to tell you, my dear.

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  9. I finally found the answer...It was a Greek Architect named Costas Kondylis that designed the DGA here in L.A. There is a similar look.

    And I forgot to say before, that I also love the 'Interior of the Cultural Complex of The Republic.
    That is so elegant and Beautiful!

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  10. Thanks for taking me along. I really like the white and blues.

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  11. Sonia,

    obrigado pelo sidebar. Um EXEMPLO de como se deve fazer. Obrigado pelo link e AMIZADE.
    Parabéns ao Fernando pelas EXTRAORDINÁRIAS imagens de Brasília. Dignas de uma EXPOSIÇÃO na CAPITAL.

    Forte abraço a ambos!

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  12. I never knew Brasília looked so futuristic!
    Love the bridge and the cathedral.

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  13. What great architecture I really like the Itamaraty Palace with the water, and the bridge ids spectacular. What is the big dish at the National Congress building. I heard on the news that there was an earth quake in South America but didn't hear where, I hope it didn't effect you. Have a good weekend. Lloyd and Ranger

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  14. Oi Nando!

    Parab�ns, novamente, agora, pelas maravilhosas fotos de Bras�lia!

    Acho que est� nas veias dos Mascaro's e Amorim's o gosto e a arte de bem fotografar! Tio Jo�o tamb�m "curtiu" muito a fotografia!

    Continue cultivando essa sua sensibilidade especial!!

    Ficamos aguardando novas "revela�es"!!

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  15. Yoour cathedral reminds me of the catholic cathedral in Liverpool , which was built in the late 1960s

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  16. Oh !!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you ! I ever loved to see photos of Brasilia but unfortunately it's so rare. **These are wonderful** and Mr. Niemeyer is a great man. Thank you very very much !!!

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  17. I just love the futuristic look in your images!

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  18. What glorious designs for all your buildings!! Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Great pics! I have just finished reading a book about Frank Lloyd Wright's illicit love affair, so am more tuned in to architecture for the moment. I don't know what he would think of these pics but I love the prosecutor's office. Sure makes me wonder how the prosecutor got such a gorgeous building!

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  20. Wow, Brasilia has such beautiful modern architecture.

    I saw the map of the city and it is very well planned. It looks like an aeroplane from the sky.

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  21. What unique looking buildings! I absolutely love that bridge! You really got my attention with the clouds. I love driving around (with my job) looking at clouds! I have a little pond that I pass with all sorts of ducks...of course, I can't take too much time looking as I'm in my bus!

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  22. The architecture is amazingly contemporary and even surreal. I love the clean lines, the bold design. The cathedral is awesome.

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  23. Sonia, lindas as fotos do seu filho.

    Linda a Capital. Pena que de tão afastada, tanto o Executivo quanto o Legislativo não sintam a pressão direta dos seus eleitores, o que Ulisses ou Tancredo, não sei qual dos dois, chamava de "o clamor das ruas, dos grotões".
    Grande abraço, e até mais.

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  24. Sonia querida, é uma linda cidade não?
    Um trabalho de grande artista na construção de uma cidade maravilhosa como Brasilia.
    Pena estar tão corrompida, como madeira que deu cupim, e vai comendo por dentro.
    Uma linda semana prá você meu bem.
    Um beijo

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  25. Sonia, Brasilia por sí só já é um espetáculo. Uma fotografia bem elaborada e com sentimento, só valoriza o tema.
    Parabéns ao Fernando. Como diz o Carlos: está no sangue dos Amorim e Mascaro!
    Um beijo, menina

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  26. My father has a painting of the cathedral, a memory from their time there. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.

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  27. Beautiful pictures Sonia!! That bridge is something else!! Different than anything I've seen! Very unique architecture!! I love those blue skies in almost every picture!!

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  28. Hi Sonia. Beautiful pictures of a beatiful modern city...

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  29. Wow indeed! I remember learning about Brasilia in geography lessons at school a long time ago. How wonderful to see it up close. The architecture is extraordinary.

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  30. When I was a kid in the architecture school back in the USSR, my favorite book was a beautifully published monography "Oscar Niemeyer" full of wonderful photographs and Niemeyer's theoretical works. It cost a small fortune for me at the time, but Oscar was my architectural role model and I had sacrificed my lunches for quite some time to buy the book. By the time I graduated, the book almost fall apart from the frequent use and reference. Your photographs reminded me of this time of my youth, when I was obsessed with the great Niemeyer's architecture.
    VZ
    http://nostalgia.shutterchance.com/

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