Brasilia in pictures: 50 great buildings, 50 years

Oscar Niemeyer - National Congress
Oscar Niemeyer - National Congress (1958)
(Image credit: Press)
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You don't have to be an architecture expert to have heard of Brasilia. Contemporary Brazil's renowned capital was purpose-built in 1960, featuring a grand urban plan by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer as its iconic principle architect and Roberto Burle Marx as the landscape designer, plus buildings from some of the country's finest architects.

Its urban planning design has been an example and universal reference to architects and urban planners ever since. And it was all beautifully designed in the era's most forward thinking style - the International Style - which Brazil took and made its own.

Today, home to some 2.6 million Brazilians and a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, Brasilia is marking its 50th anniversary. Photographer Leonardo Finotti visited the Brazilian capital for this celebration and presented us with 50 great Brasilia buildings, one for each year of the city's much celebrated existence.

From famous Niemeyer buildings, to lesser known classic modernist structures like the Sarah Hospital by João Filgueiras Lima (Lelé) and the Nilson Nelson Arena by Ícaro Castro Mello - and even a few distinguished and beautiful private residences - our map of Brasilia has it all.

Sarah Lago Hospital

Joao Filgueiras Lima (Lele) - Sarah Lago Hospital

(Image credit: Press)

Nilson Nelson Gymnasium

Icaro Castro Mello - Nilson Nelson Gymnasium

(Image credit: Press)

University restaurant/UnB

Jose Galbinski - University restaurant/UnB

(Image credit: Press)

Brasil Arquitetura

Brasil Arquitetura - ANTAQ Building

(Image credit: Press)

Super Quadra

Oscar Niemeyer - Super Quadra 107/108 South (1959)

(Image credit: Press)

Rodrigo Lefevre

Rodrigo Lefevre- DNIT

(Image credit: Press)

National Theatre

Oscar Niemeyer - National Theatre (1958)

(Image credit: Press)

Gama Stadium

Ruy Ohtake - Gama Stadium

(Image credit: Press)

LB house

Bernardes+Jacobsen - LB house

(Image credit: Press)

The temporary residence of President Juscelino Kubitschek

Oscar Niemeyer - Catetinho, the temporary residence of President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956)

(Image credit: Press)

Mexican embassy

Abraham Zabludovsky Kraveski - Mexican embassy

(Image credit: Press)

Leonel de Moura Brizola National Library

Oscar Niemeyer - Joao Herculino Republic Cultural Complex - Leonel de Moura Brizola National Library (2003)

(Image credit: Press)

Roberto Costa Pinho residence

Joao Filgueiras Lima (Lele) - Roberto Costa Pinho residence

(Image credit: Press)

MGS Macedo, Gomes & Sobreira

MGS Macedo, Gomes & Sobreira - FHE

(Image credit: Press)

Pilot Plan

Lucio Costa - Pilot Plan

(Image credit: Press)

Costa e Silva Bridge

Oscar Niemeyer - Costa e Silva Bridge (1967)

(Image credit: Press)

Alvorada Palace

Oscar Niemeyer - Alvorada Palace (1957)

(Image credit: Press)

Italian embassy

Pier Luigi Nervi - Italian embassy

(Image credit: Press)

Eolo Maia - CONIC

Eolo Maia - CONIC

(Image credit: Press)

LF House

Gilson Paranhos - LF House (Condominio Ville de Montagne, cj. 26, casa 40)

(Image credit: Press)

Itamaraty Palace

Oscar Niemeyer - Itamaraty Palace (1962)

(Image credit: Press)

Fazendaria School

Pedro Paulo de Melo Saraiva - Fazendaria School

(Image credit: Press)

Central Bank

Helio Ferreira Pinto - Central Bank (1976-1981)

(Image credit: Press)

Camargo Correa and Morro Vermelho Buildings

Joao Filgueiras Lima (Lele) - Camargo Correa and Morro Vermelho Buildings

(Image credit: Press)

UnB Rectory

Paulo Zimbres - UnB Rectory (1972-1975)

(Image credit: Press)

UnB Gas Station

Matheus Gorovitz - UnB Gas Station

(Image credit: Press)

Army Headquarter

Oscar Niemeyer - Army Headquarter (1968)

(Image credit: Press)

Central Institute of Sciences

Oscar Niemeyer - University of Brasilia - Central Institute of Sciences (1960)

(Image credit: Press)

Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge

(Image credit: Press)

Palace of Justice

Oscar Niemeyer - Palace of Justice (1962)

(Image credit: Press)

Standard Ministries

Alexandre Chan - Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge

(Image credit: Press)

Brasilia House

Isay Weinfeld - Brasilia House

(Image credit: Press)

Nossa Senhora de Fatima Church

Oscar Niemeyer - Nossa Senhora de Fatima Church (1958)

(Image credit: Press)

Museum of the Foundation of Brasilia

Oscar Niemeyer - Museum of the Foundation of Brasilia (1960)

(Image credit: Press)

Fazendaria School

Pedro Paulo de Melo Saraiva - Fazendaria School

(Image credit: Press)

Sarah Centro Hospital

Joao Filgueiras Lima (Lele) - Sarah Centro Hospital

(Image credit: Press)

Brasilia Regional Bank

MMM Roberto - Brasilia Regional Bank

(Image credit: Press)

National Supreme Court

Oscar Niemeyer - National Supreme Court (1958)

(Image credit: Press)

Bus Station

Lucio Costa - Bus Station

(Image credit: Press)

ACL house

Maria Clara Batalha (1991) + Aurelio Martinez Flores (2000) - ACL house

(Image credit: Press)

French School

Oscar Niemeyer - French School (1978)

(Image credit: Press)

UnB-Anisio Teixeira and Joao Calmon Pavilions

Claudio Jose Pinheiro Villar de Queiroz - UnB-Anisio Teixeira and Joao Calmon Pavilions

(Image credit: Press)

Brasilia Airport

Sergio Parada - Brasilia Airport

(Image credit: Press)

Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial

Oscar Niemeyer - Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial (1980)

(Image credit: Press)

Crystal Square

Burle Marx - Crystal Square

(Image credit: Press)

Metropolitan Cathedral

Oscar Niemeyer - Metropolitan Cathedral (1959)

(Image credit: Press)

Conjunto Nacional

Nauro Esteves - Conjunto Nacional

(Image credit: Press)

Planalto Palace

Oscar Niemeyer - Planalto Palace (1958)

(Image credit: Press)

Roberto Simonsen Building

Paulo Mendes da Rocha - Roberto Simonsen Building

(Image credit: Press)
Ellie Stathaki

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).

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