Brasília: Life After Design

• Watchlist

Brasília was built in the 1950s in what was then the relatively empty interior plateau of Brazil. It was created out of nothingness for various reasons including to show what a great country Brazil was/is in showcasing it as its new capital, and to usher in a new urbanism with one of the goals to eliminate class divisions. The city plan by Lúcio Costa, called Plano Piloto, contains a major axis comprised of government buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and a secondary axis sprouting from either side which contains all other urban functions, each separated into its own sector. The plan was designed ultimately to house a population of 500,000 after which satellite cities would be built to accommodate any others required to support the functions of Brasília. In being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plano Piloto cannot be changed. Approximately half a century later, several Brasílians talk about the reality of how Brasília and its surrounding satellite cities ultimately developed, and in general the difficulties of eking out a holistic life in the city in it not being at all what Costa and Niemeyer envisioned in how it was supposed to function for the average Brasílian. While some of those interviewed are directly affected by Brasília itself - one an architect who works in the Federal District planning department, and another, training to be a phone counselor, a "Brasília" souvenir seller on the side - and thus have some stake in the future of Plano Piloto, most are average Joes or Janes Public who must learn to survive within what is largely considered this emotionally and practically harsh environment.