History of Brasília
Brasília: The Dream City
The First Ideas
During the Colonial era of Brazil, the idea of moving the capital to the central region of the country was already present to avoid sea attacks. However, this possibility only began to gain momentum during the Empire. In 1823, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, known as the "Patriarch of Independence," reinforced the proposal to move the seat of Brazilian decisions inland and suggested the name "Brasília" for the first time.
In 1883, the Italian Catholic priest Dom Bosco dreamed that he visited South America, and in his account, published in the book Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, he described what he saw:
"Between the 15th and 20th parallels, there was a very long and wide bay, formed from a lake. Then, a voice repeatedly said: 'When the hidden mines in the middle of these mountains are dug out, this will be the promised land from which milk and honey will flow. It will be an inconceivable wealth.'"
This vision was later interpreted as a premonition of the place where the new capital of Brazil should be built. However, it only began to materialize in 1891 when the determination of its area was included in the first Constitution of the Brazilian Republic. The following year, a group of scientists was sent to explore the Central Plateau and demarcate the area. Led by Louis Ferdinand Cruls, the expedition became known as the "Cruls Mission." Doctors, geologists, and botanists made up the team, which conducted a survey on the region's topography, climate, geology, flora, fauna, and material resources. The area became known as the "Cruls Quadrilateral," the first version of the "little square," as every resident of Brasília calls the city map.
The cornerstone of the new center of Brazilian power was laid in 1922, during the centenary of Independence, near Planaltina, the current administrative region of the Federal District. In 1956, with a new demarcation of the future capital, the then-President of the Republic, Juscelino Kubitschek, initiated the actual realization of the project that had been in the making for centuries. In the same area indicated by Dom Bosco’s coordinates, on the banks of Lake Paranoá, Brasília began to rise.
The concept
To organize the logistics of the construction, the Companhia Urbanizadora da Nova Capital (Novacap) was created, and in the same year, it launched the “National Competition for the Master Plan of the New Capital of Brazil” with the goal of selecting urban planning projects for the construction of the city.
Among dozens of proposals, the winner, architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, was chosen precisely for its simplicity: the idea, presented on a blank sheet and drawn in pencil, was based on the outline of two axes crossing at a right angle, like the sign of the cross.
One of these lines, the Road Axis (Eixo Rodoviário), was slightly tilted, giving the cross the shape of an airplane. It would be the avenue leading to residential areas—what we now know as Asa Sul and Asa Norte. The other line, representing the Monumental Axis (Eixo Monumental), would house public buildings and the Federal Government’s palace on the eastern side, the Bus Station and TV Tower in the center, and the local government buildings on the western side.
Lúcio Costa not only drew the lines that defined the capital of the country but also envisioned the soul of Brasília, as he stated in his book Descriptive Memory of the Pilot Plan:
"A city planned for orderly and efficient work, but at the same time a lively and pleasant city, suitable for daydreaming and intellectual speculation, capable of becoming, over time, not only a center of government and administration but also one of the most lucid and sensitive cultural hubs in the country."
With the urban plan approved, Juscelino Kubitschek chose Oscar Niemeyer as the architect responsible for constructing the city's monuments. Niemeyer, from Rio de Janeiro, designed the city's main structures: the National Congress, the Palaces of Alvorada and Planalto, the Supreme Federal Court, and the Brasília Cathedral. Alongside the duo of Oscar and Lúcio, the team that turned this city into an open-air museum included figures like Burle Marx, who contributed with gardens and squares, and Athos Bulcão, whose tiled panels have become a hallmark of the capital.
The Birth
On April 21, 1960, Brasília was born to the world and to its people. With Lúcio Costa’s urban planning and Oscar Niemeyer’s architectural designs, a city emerged with innovative forms, unlike anything ever created before. The date of its birth was no coincidence: it marked the day of the death of Tiradentes, one of the leaders from Minas Gerais who fought for Brazil's independence in the 18th century. The symbolism helped strengthen the ideal of freedom for the people in Brasília and the courage of a nation, associating the inauguration with the idea of independence and paying homage to the revolutionaries who had dreamed of a free Brazil.
As the construction of Brasília progressed, small camps began to appear around the Pilot Plan to house the workers who came to build the new capital. The first camp was called Cidade Livre, which is now Núcleo Bandeirante. The other settlements later became the satellite cities that are now the 31 administrative regions that make up the Federal District.
The Consecration
It is not only the monuments that make visitors and tourists surrender to the greatness of the capital. Thanks to the flat terrain and the absence of large vertical constructions, Brasília’s sky has become known as one of the most beautiful in the country. For many, it almost replaces the sea, framing the modern buildings and the vast green spaces that complete the landscape.
Because of this combination of beauty and architectural importance, Brasília received the title of Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1987, granted by UNESCO. It was the first contemporary cultural asset to be included on this list, standing alongside landmarks like the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis of Athens, the Historic Center of Rome, and the Palace of Versailles.
This recognition was based on two of the criteria defined by the World Heritage Convention:
(I) a masterpiece of human creative genius and (IV) an architectural ensemble that illustrates a significant period in human history.
Brasília stands out worldwide for its application of the principles of the Athens Charter (1943), integrated into a strategy of national development and self-affirmation. It was the first representation of the Modern Movement in urban planning and architecture to be inscribed on UNESCO's list.
On October 10, 1987, through DECREE No. 10.829, dated October 14, 1987, Article 38 of Law No. 3.751, dated April 13, 1960, was regulated concerning the preservation of Brasília's urban concept.
What, then, was recognized?
The Pilot Plan designed by Lucio Costa for the city of Brasília, through the preservation of its four scales:
GREGARIOUS SCALE
The gregarious (or social) scale is located at the Bus Platform and in the entertainment, commercial, banking, hotel, medical-hospital, public agency, and radio and television sectors, both North and South. It is represented by all sectors where the population of the Federal District and surrounding areas converge.
MONUMENTAL SCALE
"Monumental, not in the sense of ostentation, but in the sense of a tangible, so to speak, conscious expression of what is valuable and meaningful." (Lucio Costa)
Since it was created to house the Federal Capital, the main avenue of the city, the Monumental Axis, hosts the public buildings of the Federal Government (East) and the District Government (West).
RESIDENTIAL SCALE
Designed to provide comfort and practicality to Brasília's inhabitants, it introduces a new concept of living by being organized into Neighborhood Units, composed of four Superblocks made up of residential buildings on pilotis, a church, and other public necessities such as schools, shops, a police station, a health center, buses, a cinema, playgrounds, recreational clubs, and a library. All of this is interspersed with extensive green areas that give Brasília the character of a park city.
BUCOLIC SCALE
In Brasília's design, Lucio Costa considered the harmony between architecture and the Cerrado, the local biome characterized by small and medium-sized vegetation. As a result, he established a maximum height limit for the city’s buildings, which varies by scale.
Brasília is Multicultural
The way Brasília was populated made it plural, mixed, and syncretic, representing the identity of all of Brazil. In search of better days and a brighter future, thousands of Brazilians from various parts of the country, especially from the Northeast and Minas Gerais, came to build the capital and start a new life. They became known as candangos. The pioneers who settled in the city between 1960 and 1965 still hold onto stories and tales from that time.
This mix of so many different people turned our city into a rich melting pot of accents, sounds, and colors. Our food embodies all Brazilian flavors, our markets are colorful and diverse, and here, there's culture for every taste. And all of this is spread across all the administrative regions, each with its own unique characteristics and stories, full of surprises.