Modernist masterwork Brasilia turns 60
The capital of Brazil was inaugurated on 21 April 1960, following a four-year construction period and containing landmark works by a roaster of Brazilian modernists; this year, Brasilia celebrates its 60th anniversary.
![Grey dome with slope around](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n8iv78GMxMyCZtzaP7aEsc-415-80.jpg)
Few places in the world offer such an expansive, extraordinary composition of Modernist architecture as the Brazilian capital. Part of a handful of Modernist clusters around the world – such as, for example, Le Corbusier's Chandigarh in India – Brasilia combines the gravitas, drama and scale of the International Style with the glamour and power of a country's beating heart, conceived right from the start as the embodiment of modern Brazil.
This year, Brasilia, which was created from scratch, celebrates its 60th anniversary, having been inaugurated on the 21 April 1960, following nearly four years of construction in the heart of the South American country. Featuring a grand urban plan by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer as its iconic principle architect and Roberto Burle Marx as the landscape designer, the majestic city also includes works by lesser known internationally – yet no less important – modernists, such as João Filgueiras Lima (Lelé) and Ícaro Castro Mello.
Today, the city remains the country's administrative centre, composed around a monumental axis, in a monumental civic scale. The National Congress and the Supreme Federal Court are there, as well as the official residence of the President of Brazil.
Now, Brasilia is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site and photographer Paul Clemence created and shared with us a series capturing the beauty of Brasilia's timeless classics, such as the National Congress (1958), the Palace of Justice (1962) and the Metropolitan Cathedral (1959) – all sleek lines, sweeping curves and clean contrasts, against the blue, sunny South American skies.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Valencia House by Padovani Arquitetos cuts a striking figure in the Brazilian landscape
Valencia House is a sprawling new holiday retreat in the hills outside São Paulo that mixes the timeless forms of Brazilian modernism with expansive guest facilities
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
This contemporary Brazilian home lies low and takes in its countryside context
A Brazilian home by practice Jacobsen Arquitetura, MS Residence unites nature and contemporary architecture outside São Paulo
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Niemeyer’s modernism celebrated in Oscar Ibirapuera, an example of 21st-century São Paulo living
Perkins&Will completes Oscar Ibirapuera, next to Niemeyer’s modernist landmark park in São Paulo, Brazil
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The newest Centre Point Residences’ showcase is a masterful balance of art and furniture
Conran and Partners’ new apartment design for Centre Point Residences balances artwork and curated furniture and objects to craft a space that feels intimate yet luxurious
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture: from Prairie House to Guggenheim New York
Frank Lloyd Wright, hailed among the 20th century's greatest architects, has left a rich legacy that inspires to this day; here, we invite you to dive into his world
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Canopy House in Brazil is designed so ‘you can always hear the birds’
Canopy House is raised on concrete columns to offer treetop views of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest; a holiday home by Studio MK27 that is not only open plan, but open to the elements
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
John Lautner’s Sheats-Goldstein Residence shows off its estate’s entertainment wing
The Goldstein Entertainment Complex at the estate of the Sheats-Goldstein Residence reveals its newest additions by the complex’s architects of record Conner + Perry Architects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
We tour Caracas’ treasure trove of modernist architecture gems
Explore Caracas; the Venezuelan capital is full of midcentury modern and brutalist architecture with a tropical twist
By Adam Štěch Published