Brazil's economy in the 1950s was booming. Foreign money was investing in the country at an astonishing rate, and the country was on the road to "modernity" and "progress". It was from this era that the we get the happy-go-lucky bossa nova music or the postcard-perfect image of Copacobana Beach in sunny Rio de Janeiro, both symbols of the "sophistication" and "cool" image of Brazil. The president of the time Juscelino Kubitschek was called Brazil's own "JK" and his fresh and modern look was emblematic of the national image that the country wanted to create.
Kubitschek, in order to create a national capital that was symbolic of the modern identity that Brazil was embracing, ordered the creation of Brasília, which would be a 100% planned city in the center of the country. All of the buildings were to be monuments that displayed architectural grandeur and modernity, surrounded by open lawns and plazas, giving people a sense of spaciousness. The city was designed with no traffic lights, stops, or corners, giving cars fluid movement for transit. Every building, apartment complex, lake, retail store, and cafe were carefully planned in order to create a "Brazilian Utopia".
The city is both beloved and criticized as being a city of fantasy. The famous art critic Robert Hughes has said that “nothing dates faster than people's fantasies about the future. This is what you get when perfectly decent, intelligent, and talented men start thinking in terms of space rather than place”.
Below are pictures of Brasília (as taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasilia):
What do you think, is Brasília more of a space or a place? How is Brasília an issue of the geographies of identity, space, and place? Can you think of a different place that forces us to reflect on space, place, and identity? If so, describe it, and if possible post some photos or links to give us a visual image.
