The Praça dos Três Poderes is the ceremonial heart of the Brazilian federation. Three of Niemeyer's most important buildings sit on it — the National Congress (legislative) to the west, the Planalto Palace (executive) to the north, and the Supreme Federal Court (judicial) to the south.
Open and largely featureless at first glance, the plaza rewards a slow walk: Bruno Giorgi's twin warrior bronzes Os Candangos, the Pantheon of the Fatherland under a low pyramid, and the towering flagpole that flies the world's largest flag. Sunset, when the white concrete glows orange and the air cools, is the best time to be here.