Residence of the Portuguese Embassy in Brasília

Abstract

The construction of Brasilia may have been one of most modern architecture radical challenges. The decision to build a new capital based on geographical centrality (the idea of equidistance) led Brazilians to choose a very dry and hot climate territory, which influences in every architecture design decision. The project for the Portugal Embassy, which was part of an international public competition, also attempted to answer questions related to the place and program. How to build a residence that provides the necessary intimate space for a family and has institutional areas for diplomatic representation? How to construct in an urban context that has been a paradigm of modernity since its foundation? Or how to respond to the cruel particularities of the weather?