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| Construction of Brasília | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brasília construction |
| Location | Brazil |
| Start date | 1956 |
| Completion date | 1960 |
| Architects | Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer |
| Planners | Juscelino Kubitschek, Roberto Burle Marx |
| Engineers | Joaquim Cardozo, João Filgueiras Lima |
| Significance | Capital relocation of Brazilian Republic (1889–Present) |
Construction of Brasília
The construction of Brasília was the accelerated program to build the new capital for Brazil initiated under President Juscelino Kubitschek and executed by planners, architects, engineers, and workers from institutions such as the National Department of Highways (DNER), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and the Ministry of Works. It transformed the Central-West Region with an urban plan by Lúcio Costa and monumental buildings by Oscar Niemeyer implemented between the late 1950s and early 1960s. The project intersected with national initiatives including the Plano de Metas, the Brasília Plan, and policies of the Vargas Era legacy, producing lasting debates in fields from urbanism to development economics.
Proposals for a new capital appear in debates involving figures like José Bonifácio de Andrada, Joaquim Nabuco, and later presidents such as Getúlio Vargas and Juscelino Kubitschek, who embedded the idea in the Plano de Metas to stimulate industrialization and integrate the Interior of Brazil. Planning institutions including the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform considered precedents such as Canberra and Washington, D.C. while referencing legal frameworks like the Constitution of 1891 and later constitutional provisions. The international Modern Movement in architecture influenced selection processes culminating in a national design competition won by Lúcio Costa with support from the Ministry of Works and patronage from political leaders such as Juscelino Kubitschek and cabinet members like Magalhães Pinto.
Site selection involved surveying teams from the Brazilian Army and the National Department of Works to Combat Droughts (DNOCS) across the Planaltina, Gama, and Taguatinga basins, choosing a plateau near Planalto Central for strategic and symbolic reasons tied to the Internal Colonization agenda. Lúcio Costa’s urban design—the Plano Piloto—organized sectors for residential superblocks, government ministries along the Monumental Axis, and civic plazas such as the Praça dos Três Poderes, echoing models from Le Corbusier and the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). Landscape design by Roberto Burle Marx integrated native species and referenced botanical work at institutions like the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro. The plan coordinated with infrastructure proposals from the National Department of Highways (DNER) and logistics from the Federal District administration.
Groundbreaking began under the direction of the Ministry of Works with inauguration dates paced to achieve formal transfer of the capital on 21 April 1960. Major milestones included the construction of the Palácio do Planalto, the National Congress of Brazil complex, the Supremo Tribunal Federal building, and the Cathedral of Brasília by Oscar Niemeyer with structural engineering by Joaquim Cardozo. The Brasília International Airport (then Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport) and arterial highways such as the BR-060 and BR-020 tied the city to Goiânia, Anápolis, and Belém, facilitating population flows from Northeast Region and Southeast Region. Completion of the Plano Piloto’s superblocks, public housing projects, and the inauguration ceremony marked key publicized victories for Kubitschek’s developmentalist agenda.
Architectural production centered on Niemeyer’s reinforced concrete forms, notable in projects such as the Palácio do Itamaraty (later diplomatic use), the Palácio da Alvorada, and cultural venues influenced by the International Style. Structural solutions by engineers like Joaquim Cardozo addressed long-span concrete shells, thin-shell vaulting, and pilotis, while collaborations with firms like Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional provided materials. Construction techniques drew upon prefabrication, pile foundations on the Planalto Central soils, and innovations in concrete admixtures developed in laboratories linked to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the University of São Paulo engineering departments. The result produced landmarks that entered collections and exhibitions alongside works by contemporaries such as Le Corbusier and were documented in publications like Architectural Review.
The workforce comprised migrants from Northeast Region states such as Piauí, Bahia, and Pernambuco, labor recruiters organized through agencies connected to the Ministry of Labor and private contractors including construction conglomerates. Temporary settlements—often called "cidades dormitory" or promoted satellite towns like Taguatinga and Planaltina—grew rapidly, with housing programs administered by the National Housing Bank (BNH) and municipal authorities. Conditions in worker camps varied; trade unions such as the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores and social organizations documented shortages of sanitation and health services, while public health units from the Ministry of Health and civic charities intervened. Notable individual figures included engineers like João Filgueiras Lima who later advocated for design adaptations responsive to worker needs.
Infrastructure provision included arterial highways (e.g., BR-060, BR-020), utilities installed by state firms such as Companhia Energética de Brasília and water works coordinated with the National Water Agency and regional utilities, and the Brasília Railway proposals debated in transportation policy circles. Urban transit planning privileged road networks around the Eixo Monumental and superblock circulation, with later extensions integrating buses operated by companies licensed by the Federal District Government. The Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport and road links fostered connectivity to capitals like Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, and Manaus, supporting diplomatic missions transferred from Rio de Janeiro and reshaping national logistics chains.
The relocation of the capital affected national politics involving parties such as the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB), shifting federal bureaucracy from Rio de Janeiro and altering patronage networks tied to regional elites. Economically, the project stimulated sectors represented by the Industrial Development Agency (SUDENE) and construction firms, influencing migration patterns from Northeast Region and agricultural frontiers in Goiás and Mato Grosso. Socially, Brasília’s creation provoked critiques from intellectuals associated with the Brazilian Communist Party and cultural figures like Jorge Amado, as well as acclaim from urbanists connected to CIAM and the Pan American Union. The capital's form has been the subject of preservation debates in forums including the International Council on Monuments and Sites and UNESCO heritage discussions.
Category:Brasília Category:Urban planning in Brazil Category:20th-century architecture