The main attraction of Brasilia is the interesting and unique architecture in the city, mainly designed by Brazil’s treasured and renowned architect, Oscar Niemeyer. A trip to Brasilia is worth it, if only to see the contrast it has to the rest of Brazil.
Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida
It’d be a pretty difficult task to try to find a cathedral that looks anything like this one. This unique cathedral is the city’s most famous landmark and an absolute must. The building is just as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside, with the tall arched ceiling, the natural lighting effects, and the beautiful angel ornaments hanging from the centre, it’s hard to leave once you walk in.
Top tip: the curve of the building means that inside, one person can whisper on one side of the wall and the person on the other side can still hear it, resulting in a bit of fun to be had!
Palácio dos Arcos (Itamaraty Building)
This building houses the Foreign Ministry and is also open to the public. Grand on the inside and out, this is another great structure by Niemeyer. It is housed in some beautiful gardens with a long line of symmetrical arches above a reflecting pool. Cool right?
Museum of Indigenous Peoples
The reasoning behind the shape of this building is very interesting. Niemeyer wanted the building to show similarities to a traditional Yanomamö round house, so he actually spoke with Yanomamö shamans and elders for authenticity. Entry is free,e and inside you can find an excellent collection of native Brazilian art and artefacts.
National Congress
A part of this building looks like a flying saucer, which is pretty crazy for a congressional building, right? Although the pristine lawns and reflective pools surrounding it bring it back down to Earth.
Palace of Justice
A building with lots of mini waterfalls on its façade will always be worth seeing. This one houses the Ministry of Justice, and you can choose to either marvel at the architecture from the outside or step inside for a tour too.
Brasilia is overflowing with amazing architecture to look at. Hopefully, this helps to get your list started on where to head to, as it can be quite overwhelming.
If you have more time.. Santuario Dom Bosco, Banco do Brasil, JK Memorial, and Templo da Boa Vontade all look amazing, and you could also check out the Television Tower for a view of the city from above. Enjoy!
