Itamaraty Palace, Governmental palace in Brasilia, Brazil
Itamaraty Palace is the seat of Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Three Powers Plaza in Brasília and features a rectangular structure with expansive glass walls. A large reflective water pool surrounds the building and emphasizes the modern architectural design.
The cornerstone was laid by President Juscelino Kubitschek on 12 September 1960, but technical difficulties with the innovative design delayed completion until 20 April 1970, when President Emílio Garrastazu Médici inaugurated it on Diplomat's Day. The first official reception had already taken place on 14 March 1967. The building was listed as national heritage in 2007.
The palace's name comes from the Rio de Janeiro mansion that housed the ministry before the capital moved; the building was first called Palácio dos Arcos for its facade arches. Its 2,800-square-metre hall is the largest column-free hall in Latin America. The interior holds 580 catalogued works, including 450 engravings, and furniture by Sérgio Rodrigues and Bernardo Figueiredo.
The palace stands east of the National Congress along the Ministries Esplanade, near the Praça dos Três Poderes, with the reflecting pool and Bruno Giorgi's sculpture Meteoro in front. The ceremonial palace is the lower, square building; the taller, slender Annex I holds the ministry's day-to-day offices. The complex is a working government site, so access to the interior depends on the ministry's arrangements.
The concrete arches rise about 8 meters (26 feet) above the water level and create a covered walkway around the building. Roberto Burle Marx incorporated an island with tropical plants at the center of the water pool to add texture and color to the classical symmetry.
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