Coordinates: 15°47′57″S 47°51′39″W

Palácio do Planalto
The Palácio do Planalto (Portuguese pronunciation:  [paˈlasju du
Planalto Palace
plaˈnawtu]) in Brasília is the official workplace of the president
of Brazil.[1] The building was designed by architect Oscar Palácio do Planalto (Portuguese)
Niemeyer in 1958 and inaugurated on 21 April 1960. It has
been the workplace of every Brazilian president since
Juscelino Kubitschek. It is located at the Praça dos Três
Poderes (Three Powers Plaza), to the east of the National
Congress of Brazil and across from the Supreme Federal
Court.

It is one of the official palaces of the Presidency, along with the

Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence. Besides the
president, other high ranking government officials also work
from the Planalto, including the Vice-President and the Chief
of Staff; the other government ministry buildings are located on
the Ministries Esplanade. As the seat of government, the term
Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch
of the federal government.

Location in the Plano Piloto of

Brasília.
General information
Architectural style Modernist
Location Praça dos Três
Poderes,
Brasília
Country Brazil
Elevation 1,172 m
(3,845 ft)
Current tenants Luis Inacio Lula
da Silva,
President of
Brazil
Construction started 10 July 1958
Inaugurated 21 April 1960
Renovated 2009–2010
The building, constructed in the modernist style, is part of the Client Brazilian
Brasília World Heritage Site, designated by UNESCO in government
1987.[2][3]
Owner Brazilian
government
Height 65.65 ft
Contents (20.01 m)
History Technical details
2009–2010 restoration
Floor count 4 (above
2023 storming
ground)
Architecture 1 (below
Layout and amenities ground)
First floor
Floor area 36,000 m2
Second floor
(390,000 sq ft)
Third floor
Design and construction
Fourth floor
Architect(s) Oscar
Public access and security
Niemeyer
Gallery
Other information
See also
Parking 500 vehicles
References (underground)
External links Website
www.planalto.gov.br (http://www.planalt
History o.gov.br)

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The presidential palace was a major feature of the plan for the
newly established federal capital, Brasília. Oscar Niemeyer Criteria Cultural: (i), (iv)
was chosen as the architect of the Palácio do Planalto and the Designated 1987 (11th
building's construction, led by Construtora Rabello S.A., session)
began on 10 July 1958. The Executive Office was temporarily
headquartered at the Catetinho, on the outskirts of Brasília, Part of Brasilia
during construction. Reference no. 445 (https://wh
c.unesco.org/e
The palace was officially inaugurated on 21 April 1960, by n/list/445/)
President Juscelino Kubitschek. It was one of the first
buildings inaugurated in the new capital city, along with the Region Latin America
National Congress and the Supreme Federal Court. The and the
inauguration ceremony was attended by several foreign leaders Caribbean
and attracted thousands of spectators,[1] as it symbolised the
National Historic Heritage of Brazil
transfer of the capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the center of
the country.

The palace owes its name to the Brazilian Highlands (the term planalto meaning highland), specifically the
Brazilian Central Plateau, where Brasília is located.

2009–2010 restoration
 In March 2009, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ordered an
extensive restoration of the palace.[4] Decades of poor maintenance
had taken a great toll on the structure built in 1958.[5] The
restoration was completed on 24 August 2010, at a cost of R$ 111
million.[6] The restoration focused on: installing new electricity,
water and central air conditioning systems; complete dismantling of
the interior spaces and construction of new interior divisions;
restoration of the exterior marble and granite façade; construction of
an underground parking garage for 500 vehicles; substitution of the
Planalto from the front electrical generators; restoration of windows and doors;
construction of emergency stairs; and technology upgrades[5]

During the restoration process, the Executive Office was transferred temporarily to the Centro Cultural
Banco do Brasil ('Bank of Brazil Cultural Center') and to the Itamaraty Palace.[7]

2023 storming

On 8 January 2023, the building was attacked by supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Architecture
The presidential palace was a major feature of Costa's plan for the
newly established capital city. Niemeyer's idea was to project an
image of simplicity and modernity using fine lines and waves to
compose the columns and exterior structures.[1] The longitudinal
lines of the palace are kept by a sequence of columns whose design
is a variation of those at the Palácio da Alvorada, although they
were arranged transversely to the body of the building. The palace's
façade is also composed by two strong elements: the ramp leading
to the hall and the parlatorium (speaker's platform), from where the
The ramp with the parlatorium
president and foreign heads of state can address the public at the
(speaker's platform) in the
Three Powers Plaza.[8]
background.
A reflecting pool was built in 1991 to increase security around the
palace and to balance humidity levels during the long dry season in
Brasília. It has an approximate area of 1,635 square metres (17,600  sq  ft), holding 1,900 cubic metres
(67,000 cu ft) of water, with a depth of 110 centimetres (3.6 ft).[1] Several Japanese carp live in the pool.[1]

Layout and amenities

The Palace has an area of 36,000 square metres (390,000 sq ft).[1] The main building has four floors above
ground and one floor underground.[1] The heliport is located by the north façade of the building.

First floor

The first floor consists of the main reception area, access control and security, entrance hall and press
office.[8] The large entrance hall is used frequently for temporary exhibitions on themes related to the
federal government's programs. The hall features a sculpture by Franz Weissman and three sculptures by
Zezinho de Tracunhaém. Also located on the first floor is the Presidential Gallery, housing the official
portraits of the former presidents of Brazil.[8]

Second floor

The second floor houses the East, Noble and West rooms, as well
as the Supreme Meeting Room and Press Secretariat.[8] The East
Room is where the president signs decrees and other pieces of
legislation. The Noble Room, also called the Mirror Hall, is the
largest in the palace. It is used for large ceremonies, with a capacity The Supreme Meeting Room, on the
to hold 1,000 guests. The highlights in this hall are Haroldo second floor of the Palace
Barroso's sculpture Evoluções and Djanira da Motta e Silva's
painting Os Orixás. The West Room was designed for medium-
sized events, with a capacity to hold from 300 to 500 people. Due to its ample size and generous ceiling
height, it is primarily used for events based on international themes. A large panel created by Roberto Burle
Marx decorates the area. The Supreme Meeting Room was built in 1990 and is normally used for
ministerial, government and presidential meetings.[8]

Third floor

The third floor houses the office of the president and their senior staff.[8] It
also houses the mezzanine, a large area composed of waiting rooms and a
circulation area between the Noble Room, the presidential office and the
offices of the senior advisors. The waiting rooms are decorated with
furniture by Sergio Rodrigues and Oscar Niemeyer, and paintings by
Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Firmino Saldanha, Frans Krajcberg, Geraldo de
Barros and Frank Schaeffer. The bronze sculpture called O Flautista, by
Bruno Giorgi, used to ornament the area but was destroyed during the
invasion of Congress on 8 January 2023.[8][9]

The president's office consists of three separate environments: office,

meeting room and guest room.[8] The president's office is decorated with
modernist Brazilian furniture dating from the 1940s to the 1960s, and
silverware from the Catete Palace. The highlights in this room are two large O Flautista, bronze
paintings by Djanira da Motta e Silva: Colhendo Bananas and Praia do sculpture by Bruno Giorgi
Nordeste. The meeting room is used for private meetings between the before the events of 8
president and members of their direct staff. The guest room is used for January 2023
formal meetings between the president and foreign heads of state and
government.[8]

Fourth floor

The fourth floor contains a large lounge area and the offices of senior government officials, including the
Chief of Staff and the Chief of the Institutional Security Cabinet.[1] The lounge area was created during the
2010 restoration and is decorated with modernist Brazilian furniture from the 1960s. Highlights in the
lounge include: a tapestry by Alberto Nicola; a draft of Tiradentes'
bust, by Bruno Giorgi; and Cena Indígena, by Giovanni Oppido.
Two large panels by Athos Bulcão are also seen on the side walls
that lead to the lounge.[8]

Public access and security

The Palace is open to public visitation on Sundays, from 9:30 am to
2 pm.[10] Guided tours last 20 minutes. During the week, access to The Presidential Office, on the third
floor, after restoration (as decorated
the building is restricted to authorised personnel. It is difficult to see
in 2010 during Luiz Inácio Lula da
the president, as they are often escorted into the Palace through the
Silva's administration)
north entrance or arrives by helicopter. The ramp in front of the
Palace is only used during special ceremonies, such as presidential
inaugurations and state visits by foreign heads of state and
government.

The building is protected by the Presidential Guard Battalion and

by the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment ('Independence Dragoons'), of
the Brazilian Army. The ceremonial guard sentry duties are rotated
among those two units every six months, and a change of the guard
ceremony takes place to mark the rotation.
The Independence Dragoons stand
Gallery guard outside the Palácio do
Planalto.

Bird's eye view of Front façade with

the Planalto the reflecting pool

Detail of columns Planalto from Três Os Candangos Reception area

Poderes Plaza sculpture in front of
the Planalto
Reflecting pool at The Planalto at dusk Planalto in 2020
night

See also
Alvorada Palace
Granja do Torto
Rio Negro Palace
Catete Palace
Paço Imperial
Palace of São Cristóvão
Petrópolis Imperial Palace
List of Oscar Niemeyer works
2023 invasion of the Brazilian Congress

References
1. Palácio do Planalto (http://www.presidencia.gov.br/palacios/palacio_planalto/) Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20110301082349/http://www.presidencia.gov.br/palacios/palacio_pl
analto) 1 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine Presidency of Brazil. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
(in Portuguese).
2. Brasilia – UNESCO World Heritage Site (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/445/). Retrieved 30
October 2020
3. Phillips, Tom (6 August 2020) Brazil's modernist palaces could soon be disfigured by anti-
drone systems (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/06/brazil-architecture-oscar-ni
emeyer-planalto-drones) in The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2020
4. Custo da reforma do Planalto aumenta para R$ 103 milhões (http://oglobo.globo.com/pais/m
at/2009/03/20/custo-da-reforma-do-planalto-aumenta-para-103-milhoes-754935004.asp) O
Globo. Retrieved 19 July 2009. (in Portuguese)
5. A restauração do Palácio do Planalto (http://www4.planalto.gov.br/restauracao) Presidency
of Brazil. Retrieved 19 July 2009. (in Portuguese)
6. Gabinete de Lula ganha vidro blindado na reforma do Palácio do Planalto (http://g1.globo.co
m/politica/noticia/2010/08/gabinete-de-lula-ganha-vidro-blindado-na-reforma-do-palacio-do-
planalto.html) G1.com. Retrieved 24 August 2010. (in Portuguese)
7. Lula começará a despachar no CCBB a partir de terça-feira (http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.b
r/noticias/2009/03/20/materia.2009-03-20.1544959527/view) Agência Brasil. Retrieved 19
July 2009. (in Portuguese)
 8. Palácio do Planalto (http://www2.planalto.gov.br/presidencia/palacios-e-residencias-oficiais/
palacio-do-planalto/visitas/pdf) Presidency of Brazil. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
9. "Brazil protests: Artwork suffers damage beyond repair" (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-lat
in-america-64214357). BBC News. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
10. Programa de visitação ao Palácio do Planalto (http://www2.planalto.gov.br/presidencia/pala
cios-e-residencias-oficiais/palacio-do-planalto/visitas) Presidency of Brazil. Retrieved 27
March 2012. (in Portuguese).

External links
Official website (http://www.planalto.gov.br)

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This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 12:00 (UTC).

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