Invisible Brasilias: 4th place in the Plano Piloto contest

Get to know the project of Marcelo Roberto, Maurício Roberto, Antonio A. Dias, Ellida Engert and Paulo Novaes

Masterplan. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 105.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

A polynuclear city

Masterplan. Authors’ redesign.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Masterplan with location of the seven urban units and the federal park. Authors’ redesign.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Seven urban units

would provide a “harmoniously decentralized” city. The units would be self-sufficient, with housing, shops and part of the government administration. Outside them, the Federal Park stands out, where the palaces of the three powers would be present.

Masterplan sketch with future expansions. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 124.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Planned expansion

In the future, the city could be duplicated without losing its original characteristics, with up to fourteen urban units being expected.

Masterplan of the urban unit with demarcation of the neighborhood unit. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 109.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Each unit

would house six neighborhoods, each with housing and commercial sectors that would converge into a single center, called the "Core".

Masterplan of the neighborhood unit with location of the mechanical sidewalks. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 109.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Mechanical sidewalks

Surprisingly, the project provided moving walkways connecting neighboring units to the center, for a total of more than 60 km throughout the city.

View of the moving walkways. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Walking without getting tired

and without getting wet. The moving walkways would be covered to protect against the sun and rain.

View of the commercial sector. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Core Masterplan with location of the commercial and administrative sector. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 113.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

The Core

would be the vital nucleus of the urban unit. It would contain tall buildings for public and private administration, such as offices, hotels and hospitals. A central square surrounded by low-rise buildings would house community facilities such as stores, nurseries, bars and museums.

360° pinned aerial view of the center of the urban unit. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Visit the heart 

of an urban unit.

Tap to explore

360°

You are in the Core, the commercial and administrative sector.

View of the residential sector. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Neighborhood unit masterplan. Modified from Braga (2010), p. 109.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

The housing 

would be organized into three neighbourhood units, with houses and apartment buildings. These areas would share a local commercial center, with daily services such as small stores, markets, schools and sports courts.

360° pinned aerial view of the residential sector. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Get to know the inside

of a neighborhood unit, in a location near a school and apartment buildings.

Tap to explore

360°

You are in the residential sector.

View from the government sector. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Masterplan with location of embassy squares. Authors’ redesign.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

The Federal Park

would be located in a privileged area, on the shores of the lake, integrated with the Alvorada Palace. The park would include the Three Powers Square, the Culture Square and an extensive garden, called the History Forest. Next to it would be the embassy sector.

Masterplan of the monumental squares. Modified from Tavares (2014), p. 275.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Monumental squares

The palaces and different cultural facilities would be arranged in the Civic Square and the Culture Square, both connected by a large elevated platform. The complex is composed of a lighthouse, with a panoramic view, which stands out in the middle of the lake.

360° pinned aerial view of the government sector. Authors’ rendering.Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB

Look at the view

of these monuments on the lake shore.

Tap to explore

360°

You are in the government sector.

To find out more about the contest, click here: Introduction
Get to know the other finalist projects:
 - Lucio Costa
 - Boruch Milman and team
3°/4° - Rino Levi and team
3°/4° - MM Roberto and team
 - Milton Ghiraldini and team
 - Henrique Mindlin and Giancarlo Palanti
 - Vilanova Artigas and team

Datasheet: 

Sponsorship:  Fundo de Apoio à Cultura  - FAC 
Realization:  Museu de Arte de Brasília - MAB   
Authorship and Idealization: Danilo Fleury and Maíra Guimarães 
Curatorship: Danilo Fleury, Maíra Guimarães and Rogério Carvalho 
Expography:  Coarquitetos , Danilo Fleury and Maíra Guimarães 
Production: Curatorship of Cultural Projects, Leonardo Gois 
Graphic Design: Coarquitetos, Danilo Fleury and Maíra Guimarães 
Collaborators: Giovana Martins, Marcela Budó, Marcos Paulo Cruz and Lucas Patriota

Credits: Story

Bibliographic references:

BRAGA, Milton. O concurso de Brasília: sete projetos para uma capital. Museu da Casa Brasileira, 2010.
FICHER, Sylvia; BATISTA, Geraldo Nogueira; LEITÃO, Francisco; FRANÇA, Dionísio Alves de. Brasília: uma história de planejamento In RODRÍGUEZ, Eduard, e FIGUEIRA, Cibele Vieira A (Brasilia 1956 - 2006, de la fundación de una ciudad capita l al ca pital de la ciudad) Lleida: Milenio, 2006. pp. 55-97.
GUIMARÃES, Maíra Oliveira. Uma capital para um lago, um palácio e um hotel. In: VI Encontro da Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação em Arquitetura e Urbanismo. 2020.
SILVA, Elcio Gomes da. Os palácios originais de Brasília Tese (Universidade de Brasília). Brasília, 2012.
TAVARES, Jeferson. Projetos para Brasília 1927-1957. IPHAN, 2014.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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