Itamaraty Palace

Foreign ministry palace floating on a reflecting pool

The headquarters of Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, completed in 1970, sits east of the Three Powers Plaza in a shallow reflecting pool. Niemeyer's elegant arches march around all four sides, and a sculpture by Bruno Giorgi — Meteoro, five abstract figures in white marble — stands on a podium in the water.

Inside is a striking double-height ceremonial hall, original mid-century Brazilian furniture, and a roof garden by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. Free guided tours run on weekdays at scheduled times — bring ID, and dress conservatively (no shorts).

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The arches Niemeyer drew for Itamaraty — repeated round all four sides — were among his own favourites, and the Palace of Arches is widely considered one of the most beautiful modernist buildings in the world. The reflecting pool around it makes the whole building seem to float, doubling the arches in the water; inside, a roofless interior garden with native Cerrado plants by Roberto Burle Marx surprises visitors who expected only marble.