Palácio da Alvorada, Presidential residence in Brasília, Brazil.
Palácio da Alvorada is the official residence of the Brazilian president in Brasília, standing on a peninsula extending into Paranoá Lake. The three-story building displays slender white marble columns forming curved shapes and large glass surfaces that open views toward the water.
President Juscelino Kubitschek commissioned Oscar Niemeyer to design the building, completed in 1958 before the official inauguration of the new capital. Kubitschek himself moved in as the first president and used the site as a symbol for the renewal of Brazil.
The name Alvorada means dawn and was chosen to symbolize the beginning of a new era for Brazil. Visitors can view the architecture from outside, while the interior serves primarily for official functions.
The grounds are not open to the public without prior authorization, but the exterior view can be observed from the road or across the lake. The best perspectives come from points along the waterfront, where the columns and water interact.
The library inside gathers more than 3400 volumes on Brazilian history, arts, and philosophy for presidential use. A battalion of the Presidential Guard secures the site around the clock, while around 160 staff members maintain operations.
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