Brasilia is the feminine name for Brazil. It was with this denomination that humanity came to know one of the greatest expressions of modern Latin American art reflected in the delicate lines and elegant buildings drawn by two great disciples of the acclaimed Le Corbusier. The architect Oscar Niemeyer and the urbanist Lucio Costa made the dream of ex-president Juscelino Kubitschek a reality. They were able to build the capital of the country of the future in three years (1957-1960). The city was not built solely for the desires of this statesman but also for many generations that were seeking a new capital for the nation.

Already in the 19th century the then minister of the Brazilian Emperor, José Bonifacio was expressing the need to change the location of the political headquarters of the empire. Later, a commission which was formed under the constitution of 1891 came to determine the exact geographic position. However, it was not until 1957 that machines and men arrived at the central plateau of Brazil to remove the dirt and clear immense areas of vegetation to make way for building the new national utopia.

Perhaps this is the true sense of this big white city that, from above, looks like the form of a colosal plane that seems to be taking off heading east. Sprawled out in front of Paranoá Lake, Brasilia houses all the political life and administration of the Brazilians. Automobiles come and go transporting ministers, counselors, senators, delegates, and high officials of national and international organizations. They are all shuttled around in a city that was not designed for pedestrians. Enormous distances and the so called "supercuadras" – big urban blocks – make it almost obligatory to use a vehicle in order to get around. For this reason, two immense public transport lines run through the main body of the city, the Eje Monumental (where the ministries, public monuments, and government buildings are located) and the Eje Rodoviario (where the commercial, residential, and business sectors are located).  

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