Planning and Designing of

Brief History

Before Brasilia the capital of Brazil was Rio de Janerio

Brasilia was officially opened on April 22nd 1960

The first Brazilian capitals were built by the cost

The government decided to move the capital to a more interior area

The architect Lucio Costa appointed to plan the new capital

Planners called it as the practical example of development of regional areas

- Regional development

- Administrative purpose

The city plan was based on the idea of Le Corbusier

Reasons of Creation

Locate the capital to an inland location

Fear of invasions to previous capital Rio de Janeiro

To create a growth center

To enhance a spirit of national unity

Plan of Brasilia

Lucio Costa’s plan for the city was detailed

It stipulates which zones are to be residential and commercial

It limits where industries can settle, where certain buildings can be built and how tall

those buildings

Layout Plan

The basic plan was a simple cross

There was already plans for the artificial lake

The city gained the shape of an aero plane symbolizing

the fastest way out of town

City pointing like an arrow into the future

Two interesting access

- Monumental axis

- Residential axis

Wind direction and smoke of the industries not to be towards the residential area

Circulation Network

Motorcar is dominated in circulation system

Separate roads for local traffic & for through traffic

No independent pedestrian ways except very few pedestrian malls

Designed city has 4 scales

Monumental Scale

Residential Scale

Social Scale

Bucolic Scale

Types of Settlements

Row houses

Super blocks

Satellite towns

Residential Super Blocks

Each group should have

- A church

- A secondary school

- A movie house

- A youth club

- Adequate field space for children to play

Each building goes only six stories high

Lower building for commercial business in between

super blocks

Satellite Towns

Several satellite towns have been created over the years through house the extra

inhabitants

Planned for only for ½ million inhabitants

Aerial view of Sobradinho, one of Brasilia's satellite towns

Recreational Areas

Botanical garden

Zoo

Brasilia national park

25 m2 of green space

Contains the highest concentration

(for the best known Brazilian artist)

Positive Aspects of Brasilia

Not threatened by any kind of natural disaster

Virtually no air pollution

Many and large green areas

Good climate

In original plan there were no traffic lights

Negative Aspects of Brasilia

Housing prices are very high

Public transportation is inefficient

Great distance between the buildings

Newer satellite town have very few green areas unlike the pilot plan

Many of the famous buildings are beautiful but not functional

The city has been acclaimed for its use of modernist architecture on a grand scale

The city was not designed on a pedestrian scale

The displacement of poor residents too far away in satellite towns

Thank You