BRASILIA – UNIVERSITY OF BRASILIA (UnB)

DESCRIPTION – Brasilia: University of Brasilia (UnB)

The University of Brasilia (UnB) is a testament to modernist architecture, characterized by its bold and innovative design. The campus features iconic buildings with clean lines, striking geometric shapes, and a harmonious integration with the surrounding natural landscape. The architecture of UnB creates a vibrant and inspiring environment for academic pursuits, reflecting the university’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

Founded in 1960 and beginning to function in 1962, the University of Brasilia (UnB) was created based in a progressive conception of higher education. Occupying an immense area of 257 hectares between the Pilot Plan and the Lake Paranoá, its campus would also be innovative, having as a starting point a master plan by Lúcio Costa.

The task of raising from nothing the accommodations to shelter such a major institution in a brand–new town was assigned to the Center of Planning (Ceplan), a department of the School of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU). At the Ceplan, under the leadership of Oscar Niemeyer and with the help of João Filgueiras Lima—better known as Lelé, professors and their assistants, students and other professionals worked in close contact. The aim was to develop new forms of space organization, new structural alternatives and new construction technologies that would allow for the erection of flexible buildings in a very short time to lodge the most unanticipated activities as the campus was been built. Undeniably, the Ceplan became a reference research center in these fields. And the tradition of team work and experimentalism then established is carried on until today.