The capital of Brazil, envisioned as the flag bearer of democracy, is the subject of an ongoing exhibition at NGMA in New Delhi.
The capital of Brazil, envisioned as the flag bearer of democracy, is the subject of an ongoing exhibition at NGMA in New Delhi.
At first, there was no vegetation, no people and no lakes… just a cross on the ground. The two roads met vertically, marking the start of construction Brazilthe new capital of brasilia, a vast expanse of 5,802 sq km. To be built on a plateau at an altitude of 1,100 meters in the Planalto Central Highlands of Brazil.
The dream of a new capital for Brazil, where all the development and people had hitherto crowded coastal cities such as Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo, was more than a century old. It was also written into the constitution of Brazil in 1891, but was only commissioned in 1956, when President Jusselino Kubitschek saw it as the basis for his slogan ‘5 years of development in 50’.
Until now, the dream of Brasília was much more than a new city – it was to be the flag bearer of Brazil’s democracy, of a modern, progressive approach to the country, and of an egalitarian society that would allow people to live more inland, some much-needed development. – all of which will go into the capital’s design.
The city was designed, much like Washington DCMall, and Lutyens New Delhialmost a’Center View, The vista included the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House and Office at one end, government buildings along the way and then ‘Super Quadras’-shaped residences, all leading to the Brasilia bus stop at the other end.
The ‘Plano Piloto’ or city plan for Brasilia created by architect Lucio Costa.
The ‘plano piloto’ or city plan – compared to a bird, a bow and arrow, or an airplane – was created by architect Lucio Costa with buildings designed by the world-renowned architect. Oscar Niemeyer, who chose concrete as his medium for his ‘flow’, and structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo, who gave form to concrete. The entire plan, including an artificial lake created by damming two nearby rivers, was completed in 41 months and was inaugurated in 1960.
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1976. , photo credit: Getty Images
More than 60 years later, the creation of Brasília is the subject of an exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi, curated by the Ambassador of Brazil. Andre Aranha Correa do LagosAn architecture enthusiast himself, who knew Niemeyer before his death in 2012. The exhibition, which includes photographs, tapestries, tiles and even modern furniture from Brazil, begins with a complete model of Brasilia’s main avenue: a central vista within Delhi’s central vista, as it were. .
The National Congress of Brazil, or Parliament House, designed by Oscar Niemeyer. , photo credit: AP
The ambassador says that every building in Brasilia has a unique style. The Parliament House tower, built low and wide, as the two combined skyscrapers above the city, the President’s Office, and the Itamarati Palace (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), but all have one important similarity: the pillars designed by Niemeyer. In contrast to the grand colonial columns preferred in other capitals, Niemeyer painted its columns as ‘feminine’ L-shaped wings, tapering at the top and bottom to give the buildings the sense that they were barely visible. touch the ground while they reach the sky on the other. End.
Another important feature of all buildings is that each building has a different approach and entrance. For example, at Itamarti Palace, dignitaries are led into the building across a waterway and up a grand set of iconic banister-less stairs. When it rains, the cars come through a long tunnel and the dignitaries descend inside a hall on the first floor that visually opens the building in a controlled manner.
Brasilia’s iconic cathedral, shaped like a giant inverted flower supported by massive steel columns and forged with blue and white stained glass, has an equally stunning entrance. In others, Niemeyer built ramps for the entrance, guiding pedestrians to slowly appreciate the architectural highlights. All buildings in the residential area are built on stilts, allowing gardens below that provide residents with shaded areas in between, to pass through an unlimited park area.
Sculptures of the Apostles in front of the Cathedral of Brasilia, an architectural landmark created by architect Oscar Niemeyer in Brasilia, Brazil. , photo credit: AP
“Niemeyer said that the first impression for the common man on the street was to see the building, find it interesting, and remember something that was different from his everyday life,” says Corra do Lago. “Whether it is the Presidential residence or the Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Parliament House or the Supreme Court Building, each experience is very, very different and I think that is one of the secrets of Niemeyer’s success.
‘Elegant monotony’
While many have marveled at Brasilia’s “concrete El Dorado”, six decades of existence have also exposed its many failures. Brasília is a capital, but not a city, and lacks a vibrant street life. For example, the ‘hotel district’ is more like an aerocity, where tourists are confined to visiting other hotels and other tourists rather than mingling with locals. (After one visit, feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir described it as an “elegant monotony”.)
Part of the problem is that in contrast to historic cities such as London, Rome, Shanghai, Kolkata and Lahore, planned cities such as Brasilia, Chandigarh (Niemeyer drew inspiration from Le Corbusier’s modernist style), Islamabad and others are divided into square-like grids. is imagined. The population of Brasilia is now about 4.8 million, but many people live in satellite cities, which have developed more organically around the main capital region.
The original plan for an egalitarian city structure has also made way as more elite prime real estate moves closer to the water’s edge. Nevertheless, Brasilia has shown a way for other countries to rebuild its narrative through the construction of a new capital: from Malaysia’s Putrajaya, Nigeria’s Abuja, Myanmar’s Nyapito to Indonesia’s Nusantara and South Korea’s Sejong.
While the debate over building a new city rather than restoring an old one will continue, the lasting impact of any construction done with the idea is undeniable. In explaining the purpose of his architecture, Niemeyer famously said, “Humanity needs dreams to endure suffering, even if it is only for a moment.”
‘Brasilia 60+ and the Construction of Modern Brazil’ is at NGMA, New Delhi till 31st July, and will then travel to Chandigarh and other cities.
suhasini.h@thehindu.co.in