In 1960 Brazil got a new capital city.
The glamorous coastal city Rio de Janeiro had the honour taken from it, with the title placed on the purpose-built seat of government, Brasília.
Brasília is home to around five million people and is best known for being an almost one-industry city. The main game in town is politics, unsurprising given the country’s National Congress is located there.
The city cost $1.5bn to build in 1956 – that’s £14bn in today’s money.
Brasília took four years to construct and is marked out by its modernist architecture, reflecting the era in which it was built.
But the city continues to draw fans and detractors.
Its biggest critics say that its location, in the centre of the country, leaves it isolated from the economic and cultural centres of Brazil.
It’s led some to brand it a “white elephant”, that sees throngs of the governmental workers that live there leave every weekend to go elsewhere.
At 12 and 15-hour drives to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro respectively, those keen on a lively weekend on the coast are perhaps better off flying.
Brasília is known for its 20th century architecture. Some love it, and some don’t.
For those that are all for the sleek modern design, visitors can take in the government buildings and religious sites, like the Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida.
There is also an abundance of outside space in the city, such as the Parque da Cidade Sarah Kubitschek, popular for barbecues and those out with their families.
There are also several museums, like MUSEU Nacional da República and Museu Histórico de Brasília, as well as plenty of fabulous restaurants selling local and international cuisine.
Brazilians haven’t been shy to criticise the city on the social media site Reddit.
One wrote: “I don’t really grasp why anyone would come here for tourism. It’s isolated and not that interesting.”
Another chimed in: “I’ve been there a few times, and will go back again in a few weeks. It’s definitely not my favourite city in Brazil, but I don’t think it’s a bad place. I don’t particularly like the architecture – it is interesting but gives me dystopian sci-fi movie vibes. The city seems very livable with good infrastructure and services, but also a bit boring.”
A third said: “It sucks by every standard of a livable city.
“It’s a car-centric soulless hell with an anemic and bland architecture wrapped around white concrete and dry grass. They had a chance to make a human-focused, walkable, green city from scratch, and blew it.”
