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| Planalto Palace | |
|---|---|
| Name | Planalto Palace |
| Native name | Palácio do Planalto |
| Caption | Main façade of the Planalto Palace |
| Location | Praça dos Três Poderes, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil |
| Coordinates | 15°47′16″S 47°52′29″W |
| Architect | Oscar Niemeyer |
| Client | Presidency of the Republic of Brazil |
| Construction start | 1958 |
| Inauguration | 21 April 1960 |
| Style | Modernist |
Planalto Palace is the official workplace of the President of Brazil, located on Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília. Conceived during the construction of Brasília, the building is a principal example of Brazilian Modernist architecture and a central element of the Plano Piloto de Brasília conceived under President Juscelino Kubitschek, designed by Lúcio Costa and executed by Oscar Niemeyer. The palace functions as a symbol of the Federative Republic of Brazil's executive branch and hosts state ceremonies, diplomatic receptions, and presidential administration.
The site and conception of the palace are rooted in the Transfer of the Brazilian capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília and the broader Plano de Metas development program initiated by Juscelino Kubitschek. The palace was designed during planning by Lúcio Costa with architectural proposals by Oscar Niemeyer and executed by the Brazilian government's public works apparatus, including contractors and engineers affiliated with the Ministry of Works and Housing. Construction began in the late 1950s and the palace was inaugurated on 21 April 1960, concurrently with the official opening of Brasília by Juscelino Kubitschek and attended by delegations from countries such as Argentina, United States, United Kingdom, France, Portugal and others. Over subsequent decades the palace witnessed key events in Brazilian history including the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, the period of the Military dictatorship (Brazil), the Diretas Já movement, the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution of Brazil, and numerous presidential transitions involving figures such as Getúlio Vargas's legacy, Fernando Collor de Mello, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Dilma Rousseff, and Michel Temer. Renovations and restorations have been carried out periodically by agencies including the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional and the Presidency of the Republic (Brazil)'s administrative offices.
The palace exemplifies Modernist architecture as applied in the Brasília National Park urban complex and aligns with the compositional grid of the Plano Piloto de Brasília and Praça dos Três Poderes designed by Lúcio Costa. Its façade features signature elements by Oscar Niemeyer such as sweeping colonnades, pilotis, and an emphasis on monumentality seen in other works like the Cathedral of Brasília and the Palácio da Alvorada. Interior spaces include reception halls, offices, and ceremonial rooms decorated with artworks by Brazilian artists linked to institutions such as the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo. Materials and structural systems reflect mid-20th-century innovations in reinforced concrete, glass, and travertine used across projects by architects associated with the Congresso Nacional do Brasil complex and the Catetinho and Palácio do Planalto's contemporaries. Landscaping and urban sightlines connect the palace to the National Congress of Brazil and the Supreme Federal Court within Praça dos Três Poderes.
The palace serves as the workplace for the President and as a venue for state acts including the reception of foreign heads of state and heads of government from countries such as United States, China, Russia, Germany, France, Argentina and regional partners like Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. It hosts ceremonial events such as inaugural ceremonies, oath-taking associated with the Presidential inauguration of Brazil, official banquets, and press conferences with delegations from international organizations including the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Mercosur secretariat. The palace's halls are used for signing of legislation and executive acts connected to institutions like the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) and the Federal Senate of Brazil.
As the locus of executive power in Brasília, the palace is central to interactions between the Presidency and other state bodies like the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil and the National Congress of Brazil. It has been the stage for landmark decisions, political confrontations, and diplomacy involving administrations of Getúlio Vargas's historical legacy, Juscelino Kubitschek's modernization, the Military dictatorship (Brazil), and modern administrations of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer, and others. The building's presence on Praça dos Três Poderes symbolizes the constitutional separation and coordination among branches represented by the Executive power of Brazil, the Legislative power of Brazil, and the Judicial power of Brazil as embodied in the 1988 Constitution of Brazil.
Security for the palace involves federal law enforcement agencies including the Brazilian Federal Police, the Brazilian Army, and the Presidência da República's security detail, coordinated with protocols established after incidents such as the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état and later security challenges. Public access is regulated; the palace offers guided visits coordinated by agencies like the Presidência da República (Brazil)'s cultural services and the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional with checkpoints and screening in line with practices used at other official residences such as the Palácio da Alvorada and international counterparts like White House and Élysée Palace.
The palace figures prominently in Brazilian cultural memory and media, appearing in coverage by outlets such as Rede Globo, Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, and in works of literature, film, and visual arts that engage Brasília's iconography like the films of Glauber Rocha and the architecture photography of Miguel Rio Branco. It is a frequent locus for demonstrations and public gatherings connected to movements such as Diretas Já, anti-corruption protests involving Operação Lava Jato, and political rallies for figures including Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Jair Bolsonaro, and others. Scholarly analysis by historians and urbanists linked to institutions like the Universidade de Brasília, Universidade de São Paulo, and international journals treats the palace as central to debates around national identity, modernization, and the legacy of the Brasília Planalto project.
Category:Buildings and structures in Brasília Category:Official residences in Brazil