Brasilia City, 60 years after the urban utopia...

Mar 21

Mar 21 Brasilia City, 60 years after the urban utopia...

PLACES, BRAZIL, BRASILIA, ARCHITECTURE LOVER

Brasilia was conceived in 1960 as the most modern city of the world, to demonstrate Brazilian power. But 60 years after his construction, what remains from this dream ?

Brasilia is obviously one of the most crazy cities of the world…
It has been built in only 4 years (1956-60), emerging from the desert, in the middle of nowhere, to become the new Brazilian capital and a masterpiece of modernity.

Inaugurated in 1960, Brasilia was the idealist city of a new generation of communist dreamers, to prove Brazilian modernity to the world’s eyes. The construction was led by a trio composed of freshly elected President Juscelino Kubitschek, urban planner Lucio Costa, and architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Costa conceived Brasilia’s city plan through a shape which can remind a plane or a bird. Each part of the city has been dedicated to a special function: hotels, restaurants, administrative buildings… Niemeyer designed monumental buildings and iconic modern architecture, such as Brasilia Cathedral, Brazilian Congress, or Brasilia Palace.

Almost 60 years after his construction, what about Brasilia?

Brasilia was conceived to host 600 000 people, and now they are more than 2,5 millions.
But it seems like the city failed to shelter warmth and hospitality. Gigantic avenues are crossing monumental buildings, but there is no human activity in the streets…
And Brasilia appears as a forgotten city of the 1960’s Brazilian dream…