Brazil's Brasilia
Brasilia
The vibrant allure of this inland capital lies in its construction. Developed primarily in the 1960’s, the city is the rich product of some of the finest minds in modern architecture. Showcasing a unique layout and brilliant array of modern design, Brasilia possesses a charisma all its own. Like many other planned cities in the world, Brasilia was built to house the political capital, however, where the others used pretentious Greek columns and stone facades to engender awe, Brasilia opted for a different, more clean cut approach to their city construction. The result was one of honestly exposed structure, where the style showcased the city’s love for technology and progress, and the glorious possibilities inherent in the new materials of glass, steel and concrete.
In essence, Brasilia is modernism at its finest. To create a new identity following the disposal of a failed monarchy and corrupt republic, the capital brought in some of the finest architects and designers in the world. Lucio Costa offered his wisdom in city planning, while Oscar Niemeyer put his creative touch on the buildings that now stand as some of the most unique in the world. Today, Brasilia represents not only the shifting of a country’s focus from its coast to its interior, but also a valiant attempt to clean corruption from its politics and unify the wealthy and the poor in terms of living spaces. While the attempt was not entirely successful, Brasilia stands as a living architectural masterpiece.
