Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
de Brasília
). This curious building is supposed to tell the tale of the transfer of the
capital from Rio, with a large-scale architectural model of the city, and lights for points
of interest, but at last check it was almost entirely empty, the only thing inside being
the inscriptions on its walls of quotes about the new city from Kubitschek, Niemeyer
and the then Pope Pius XII.
Catedral Metropolitana
Sector Cultural Sul • Mon & Sat 8am-6pm, Tues-Fri & Sun 8am-5pm, but no entry during Mass, and no shorts allowed • Free
Between the ministries and the downtown rodoviária, and within walking distance of
either, the
Catedral Metropolitana
is one of Brasília's most striking edifices. Marking the
spot where the city of Brasília was inaugurated in 1960, it is built in the form of an
inverted chalice and crown of thorns; its sunken nave puts most of the interior floor
below ground level. Some of the glass roof panels in the interior reflect rippling water
from outside, adding to the sense of airiness, while the statues of St Peter and the
angels suspended from the ceiling (the inspired gravity-defying creations of Brazilian
sculptor Bruno Ceschiatti) help to highlight the feeling of elevation.
6
Museu Nacional and around
Sector Cultural Sul • Tues-Sun 9am-6.30pm • Free •
T
61 3325 6410
One of Niemeyer's last Brasília buildings, finished only in 2006, the
Museu Nacional
is a white dome with protruding walkways, just northwest of the cathedral, which bears
a striking resemblance to Michael Rennie's spaceship in
The Day the Earth Stood Still
.
Despite its name, it doesn't actually have any permanent exhibits, but houses within its
cool inner space temporary exhibitions of modern art, usually accompanied by the type
of music no doubt favoured on Klaatu's home planet.
Very close by is another of Niemeyer's last Brasília buildings, the rather more
terrestrial-looking
Biblioteca Nacional
(National Library), which opened in 2007.
Teatro Nacional
Sector Cultural Norte •
T
61 3325 6239,
W
www.cultura.df.gov.br/nossa-cultura/teatro-nacional.html
On the north side of the Eixo Monumental, the
Teatro Nacional
is a marvellous,
largely glass-covered pyramid built in the form of an Aztec temple. It's set at an
angle to let light into the lobby, which often hosts good art exhibitions with futuristic
and environmental themes. Inside the theatre are three halls: the Martins Pena, the
Villa-Lobos (the largest, seating 1200) and the much smaller Alberto Nepomuceno.
The theatre also hosts concerts (see p.418) and is the main city venue for
ballet and
dance
, sustained by an appreciative audience among Brasília's government and
diplomatic corps.
Palácio da Alvorada
Peninsula de Alvorada • Wed only, 3-5pm, limited to 300 visitors • Free •
T
61 3411 2317,
W
www2.planalto.gov.br/presidencia
/palacios-e-residencias-oficiais/palacio_alvorada • Bus #0.104 or #104.2 from platform A16 at the Rodoviária Central
;
if you go by taxi,
ask the driver to wait for you in the car park to the right, as taxis rarely pass by here
To complete your tour of Niemeyer gems, it's worth taking the short bus or taxi ride
to the president's o
cial residence, the
Palácio da Alvorada
, considered by many the
most beautiful of the architect's buildings. The residence is nestled behind an emerald-
green lawn and beautifully manicured gardens, which perfectly set off the brilliant
white of its exterior, with Niemeyer's signature slender buttresses and its blue-tinted
glass. Somehow the fact that you're usually only allowed to see it from fifty metres away
adds to its delicateness and elegance.
