Cathedral of Brasília

The Cathedral of Brasília (Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida) is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Brazil’s capital, located in Brasília, Federal District. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, it is an iconic modernist structure completed and inaugurated in the late 1960s and 1970s.

A striking exterior of 16 parabolic columns forms a circular, crown-like hyperboloid pierced by glass, creating a very light-filled interior dominated by tall stained-glass surfaces. The interior space is open and minimal, with suspended sculptures and an emphasis on verticality and natural light that makes the building a frequent stop on architectural tours of Brasília.

The cathedral was designed by Oscar Niemeyer as part of Brasília’s planned capital project in the late 1950s and built during the city’s construction period; it was completed and opened to the public in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its modernist form and structural expression reflect the broader civic and architectural program of Brasília, conceived under President Juscelino Kubitschek.

The cathedral sits near the central civic axis of Brasília, within the administrative core and close to other landmark government buildings and plazas. It is in the Plano Piloto area of the Federal District, within the purpose-built city center designed by Lúcio Costa.

• Sixteen columns: The roof is formed by 16 curved concrete columns that create the hyperboloid, crown-like structure of the building.
• Notable stained glass: Stained glass panels by Marianne Peretti fill the interior with colored light and are an integral visual feature of the space.