Palácio do Planalto
The Palácio do Planalto ( German: Palace of the plateau ) is the official workplace of the President of the Republic of Brazil. It is located on the north side of the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília. Since he is regarded as the seat of government, the term " O Planalto " is often used as a metonym for the executive branch.
The complex also has no official residence of the President, this is the Palácio da Alvorada used.
Architecture and Architectural History
The Palácio do Planalto is part of the Plano piloto and was one of the first buildings that were built in the capital. Construction began on 10 July 1958, and was followed by an architectural project by Oscar Niemeyer in the year 1956. The work was completed on April 21, 1960 within the time schedule and allowed, the Palácio do Planalto the center of the celebrations for the inauguration of the new capital to make. Until then, the president's residence was in a temporary, inaugurated on 31 October 1956 wooden building - popularly known as the Catetinho Palace - on the outskirts of Brasilia.
The design of the Palácio do Planalto is characterized by the simplicity of the lines with a predominance of horizontal; Curves and straight lines combine in a way that give the building a remarkable plasticity. The columns have the desired effect of Niemeyer, who saw the building as " light as a feather that lands on the floor ."
The surrounding gardens follow the designs of landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. In 1991 there was a transformation through the establishment of a water basin in front of the building and along the right side. The water area is approximately 1,635 m², with a water depth of approximately 1.1 meters and a width of occupied with Koi basin 5-20 meters summarizes this about 1,900 m³. The decision to establish this water basin took place at the end of the term of office of President José Sarney, after an unemployed truck driver had rammed in an attack on a bus one of the pillars of the building.
The palace consists of four floors, the covered area is approximately 36,000 m²; the complex includes four other buildings. The first floor houses the reception and facilities for press conferences, the second floor is occupied by various meeting rooms and the Secretariat for Press and Public Relations. On the third floor are the offices of the most important advisor to the President and the Presidential parts housed the upper floor houses among others, the Office of institutional security.
The Parlatorio - the place where the President and his guests can contact gathered in the square of the three powers people - located on the left side of the main entrance. It has been very rarely used, so at the inauguration of Brasília, at the inauguration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso and the second inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The guarded by the presidential guard the main entrance, which is accessible via a ramp, used only on special occasions, such as state visits, as access to the building. Normally, the north entrance is used in the normal case.
Equipment
The equipment of the Palácio do Planalto combines designed by Brazilian and foreign artists paintings, sculptures and tapestries. Special attention should be paid not only the furniture, the collection of porcelain from the Companhia das Indias and the Portuguese silver work of the 18th century. Some pieces were designed in consultation with Niemeyer specifically for the building, as the tapestry " Músicos " by Emiliano Augusto Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Melo e.
The library of the Palácio do Planalto - 2005 for the equivalent of $ 700,000 Fully renovated - has a collection of 33,000 volumes (books, magazines, and collection of newspaper clippings ). Here you will find collections of laws in Brazil, the official journals of the Federative Republic of Brazil and the speeches of the President of the Republic.
Access
The building is open to the public only a limited time available, on Sundays the Palácio do Planalto can be visited 9:30 to 13:00 o `clock within a 20-minute guided tours.