The building that houses the National Congress of Brazil is one of the country's most beautiful monuments. The building, in the capital city of Brasilia, was designed in 1987 by architect Oscar Niemeyer and is perhaps one of the most famous examples of modern Brazilian architecture. The building is supposed to represent two contrasting sides, with the symbol for equality between them. The two opposing sides are half circles, one facing up and one facing down. The equal sign represents justice bringing balance to Brazil.
The Palácio da Alvorada in Brasilia is the official residence of the president of Brazil. It also was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer. It was built in 1958 and has been used by the president since then. The three-story building, which is supposed to represent a glass box, is an example of simple and modern architecture.The president lives on the third floor and conducts business primarily on the second floor. The building and its furniture were restored in 2004.
The Rio De Janeiro Museum of Modern Art was designed by Affonso Eduardo Reidy and constructed in 1953. The building is a combination of materials--one side is concrete and the other side is metal. This is supposed to represent contrasting sides of art and is a symbol for the type of art housed in the museum. One side is a series of triangles pointing down, while the contrasting side is in the shape of a rectangle. Although the building suffered a fire in 1972, the art was saved and the building has since been restored.
