Palácio do Planalto, Brasilia, Brazil

The Palácio do Planalto (English: Palace of the Highlands) is the official workplace of thePresident of Brazil.^[1] It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, Brazil. As theseat of government, the term Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.

The main working office of the President of Brazil is in the Palácio do Planalto. The President and his family, however, do not live there; the official residence of the President is the Palácio da Alvorada. Besides the President, a few high advisers also have offices in the Planalto, including the Vice-President and the Chief of Staff; the other ministries are laid along theEsplanada dos Ministérios.

Architecture

The architect of the Palácio do Planalto was Oscar Niemeyer, who designed most of the important buildings in the new capital of Brasília. The idea was to project an image of simplicity and modernity using fine lines and waves to compose the columns and exterior structures.

The Palace is four stories high, and has an area of 36,000 square metres (390,000 sq ft).^[1] Four adjacent buildings are also part of the complex.^[1] In 1991, a reflecting pool was constructed in front of the main façade of the building, with 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]

[edit]2009 restoration

In March 2009, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ordered an extensive restoration of the palace.^[2] Decades of poor maintenance had taken a great toll on the structure built in 1958.^[3] The restoration is scheduled to be completed by April 2010, at a cost of R$ 103 million.^[2] The restoration will focus on: installing new electric, water and central air conditioning systems; complete dismantling of the interior spaces and construction of new interior divisions; restoration of the exterior façade (marble and granite); construction of an underground parking garage for 500 vehicles; substitution of the electrical generators; restoration of windows and doors; construction of emergency stairs; and upgrades to technological equipments (CCTV, computers, etc.).^[3]

During the restoration process, the Executive Office was transferred to the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (English: Bank of Brazil Cultural Center) building and to the Itamaraty Palace.^[4]

[edit]Public access and security

The Oval Room, where cabinet meetings are held.

The Palace is open to public visitation only on Sundays, from 9:30 am to 1 pm. Guided tours last 20 minutes.

During the week, access to the building is restricted to authorized personnel only. It is difficult to see the President. Only in special occasions does the President walk up or down the ramp in the front of the Palace. More often, he is escorted into the Palace through the north entrance.

The building is protected by the Presidential Guard Battalion of the Brazilian Army.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palácio_do_Planalto