The History of Lake Paranoá

In 1858, encouraged by his Brazilian friends, Glaziou decided to visit Brazil, where he became friends with the Emperor. Chosen to be part of the Study Commission for the New Capital in 1894, Glaziou, like his fellow travelers, fell in love with the area's climate, fauna, flora, and geography. He made such an essential contribution to the studies for creating and building the lake that the project would later be known as Glaziou's dream.

Glaziou was a keen observer of nature and not only did he realize that the lake was viable, but he also found the technical solution for how to build it. And it was his solution that was used more than 60 years later when Brasilia actually came to be built.

An excerpt from a letter written by Glaziou mentions creating the lake: […] "Between two large tablelands called Gama and Paranoá, there is a vast plain that tends to get covered by water during the rainy season."

[...] "It's easy to see how, by closing the gap with a work of art, the water will be forced back to its original place, making a fully navigable lake, measuring some 12 to 15 miles (20-25 km) in length and 10 or 11 miles (16-18 km) across."

Years after the Cruls Commission, the town planners Raul Penna Firme, Roberto Lacombe, and José de Oliveira Reis compiled a preliminary study for the New Capital. This study was in favor of building the lake because, as report said: “A dam was designed downstream to make the river into an ornamental lake [...]”

When the gap between the tablelands was closed with that "work of art," now known as the Paranoá dam, Lake Paranoá was created. All this work was undertaken to comply with art. 4 of the Provisional Constitutional Provisions in the 1946 Constitution, which reverted to the idea of moving the Federal Capital after the 1937 Constitution discounted the proposal.

Originally put forward by Brazil's First Constitution in 1891 so as to allow a more rational occupation of the continental-sized country, the idea of a capital in the interior of Brazil was revived.

However, Lake Paranoá was really created on the day when the requirement for a lake was included in the public tender notice for the architectural and urban project for Brazil's new capital. On September 30, 1956, the public notice was issued and published in the Official Gazette. There were 63 expressions of interest but only 26 projects were submitted by the submission date.

Lúcio Marçal Ferreira Ribeiro de Lima e Costa, better known as Lúcio Costa, met the requirements for an urban project to include the construction of a lake whose water level would be 3,280 feet (1,000 m) above sea level.

In his winning plan, Lúcio Costa used the name Lagoon Lake, which he described under point 20 of his Descriptive Report for the Brasilia Pilot Plan (1959): “We avoided locating residential neighborhoods on the shores of the lagoon so as to keep the lake pristine and surrounded by natural and rustic woodland and fields, where the entire urban population can go for walks to enjoy the scenic amenities.

"[...] Lake Paranoá was an essential element from the very start but it was not my idea. When the location for the new capital was chosen, the possibility of closing that gorge to create the lake was already there. So the lake was an essential part of the proposal for the new capital. I believe, in fact, that the lake should be made more accessible for the majority of the population."

The work to build the dam started in 1957, with the American construction company Raymond Concrete Pile of the Americas in charge. However, constant delays meant that President Juscelino Kubitschek could not keep his 1955 campaign promise to inaugurate Brasilia in April 1960.

So the president terminated the contract and put NOVACAP in charge, with the work then being shared between three construction companies, Camargo Corrêa, Rabello, and Engenharia Civil e Portuária.

President Juscelino Kubitschek could not conceive of inaugurating Brasilia without the lake: "How can you inaugurate Brasilia without the lake when it has been so widely advertised, especially when the lake is meant to provide the liquid frame for the city?"

At the time, there were those who believed that the lake would never be built. The columnist Gustavo Corção at the O Globo newspaper believed that the sandy soil of the Brazilian Highlands would prevent the lake from filling up. However, on September 12, 1959, on the President's birthday, the dam was officially opened. Eight months later, once the waters in the lake reached the famous 3,280 feet, the columnist received a good-humored telegram from President Juscelino Kubitschek, saying “See, it's full!”

And so, in the midst of cut-back woodlands, a valley of twisted vegetation became a huge building site, full of pioneer workers from all corners of Brazil who were there to build what is now Lake Paranoá. Today, the lake is a playground where people go to stroll along its shores, to cycle in its gentle breeze, to sail on its calm waters, or simply to meditate and watch the sun rise and set.

Capybaras (semiaquatic rodents) have been living along the shores of Lake Paranoá since 1970.  As a generalist animal and not at risk of extinction, capybaras have ended up competing with people for the use of the lake. And so, on hot days, these neighbors from the grassy banks aren't slow to take advantage of the swimming pools at the homes of shore-side residents.

Lake Paranoá has three islands called Paranoá, Retiro, and Clubes. Paranoá Island is the largest of these, covering approximately 3.8 acres (1.54 ha) and measuring about 120 yards (110 m) in length. It is near Trechos 4 and 5 in the North Lake Mansion Sector. At an altitude of 3,294 feet (1,004 m), Retiro Island covers less than 2.5 acres (1 ha). It lies near Trecho 7 of the North Lake Mansion Sector, some 93 yards (85 m) from the lakefront.

Clubes Island is the smallest of the three, measuring just 6.5 square yards (6 m2). It is near the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge. Paranoá and Retiro Islands were designated as ecological reserves by District Law no. 1,612, dated August 8, 1997.

Even without direct access to the coast, Brasilia still has one of the largest maritime fleets in Brazil. With over 52,800 of the Brazilian navy's ships and boats, it ranks only behind São Paulo, Paraná, and Rio de Janeiro. At weekends, many of these vessels can be seen on maneuvers on Lake Paranoá.

The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge—also known as Third Bridge or simply JK Bridge—was officially opened on December 15, 2002. A monumental piece of architecture, its beauty is impressive. 
The project for the bridge was chosen from plans submitted to the National Competition for Preliminary Studies in Architecture in December 1998. It was designed by Alexandre Chan, an architect from Rio de Janeiro. He was awarded the Gustav Lindenthal medal for the bridge's esthetic qualities and its harmonization with nature at the 2003 International Bridge Conference. Measuring three quarters of a mile (1.2 km) across, the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge is probably one of the loveliest postcards of the Federal Capital you can buy.