Brasília, the capital of Brazil, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2020. The city is referred to as the seat of government, as it is where those who administer the country work – the President of the Republic, federal deputies, senators, among others.
The project to build the new capital began during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek. In 1956, the National Competition for the Pilot Plan of the New Capital of Brazil was launched, aimed at gathering and selecting projects that would showcase what the “face” of the new capital would be – until then, the capital of the country was the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The winning project was by architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, who envisioned Brasília with two axes crossing at a right angle, forming the sign of the cross.
With the selected project, President Kubitschek chose architect Oscar Niemeyer to oversee the construction of the new capital. Niemeyer was responsible for famous structures, such as the National Congress building (where federal deputies and senators work), the Palácio do Planalto (where the President of the Republic works), among others.