By Frank ScherschelLIFE Photo Collection
From plan to reality
The museum was part of urbanist Lúcio Costa plan for the city as early as the late 1950s. And it was up to his friend, Oscar Niemeyer, to bring to life the structure that would feature the city's art collection.
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Center stage
The National Museum of the Republic can be found right in the heart of the city, occupying a place next to another Niemeyer landmark, the city's Cathedral.
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The structure was built entirely in concrete, painted externally in characteristically Niemeyer white, with ramps that give access into the main floors of the building.
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Step inside
Niemeyer's design is of a semi-sphere, with an area of 15,000 m². The upper floor has an enormous free span where the art exhibitions can be mounted.
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Light shining from the main chandelier hanging right in the center of the semi-sphere illuminates indirectly the artworks on exhibition.
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Outside, three water mirrors frame the exterior of the building in the square, where it is also possible to host different cultural events.
Explore more artworks by Brazilian artists from the Modernists to contemporary names in the museum's collection or go deeper into Brasília's art page.
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