PALÁCIO DA ALVORADA, the Presidential House in Brasilia

 The Palácio da Alvorada (Portuguese pronunciation: [paˈlasju dɐ awvoˈɾadɐ]) is the official residence of the President of Brazil. It is located in the national capital of Brasília, on a peninsula at the margins of Paranoá Lake. The building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built between 1957 and 1958 in the modernist style. It has been the residence of every Brazilian president since Juscelino Kubitschek. The building is listed as a National Historic Heritage Site.
The building was initially referred to as the "Presidential Palace". The name "Palácio da Alvorada" ("Palace of Dawn") comes from a quote by Juscelino Kubitschek:

"Que é Brasília, senão a alvorada de um novo dia para o Brasil?"

          "What is Brasília, if not the dawn of a new day for Brazil?"

 The Palácio da Alvorada was the first government structure built in the new federal capital. Construction began on April 3, 1957 and was completed on June 30, 1958. Niemeyer's project was based on the principles of simplicity and modernity.
The building has an area of 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft) distributed along three floors: basement, landing and second floor. Located in adjacent buildings within palace grounds are the chapel and the heliport. The basement level houses the movie theater, game room, kitchen, laundry, medical center, and the building's administration.
 The ground floor houses the state rooms used by the presidency for official receptions. It is made up of the Entrance Hall, Waiting Room, State Room, Library, Mezzanine, Dining Room, Noble Room, Music Room and Banquet Room.
 The Entrance Hall is the main entrance area of the palace. Its main feature is a golden wall inscribed with a phrase by president Kubitschek: "From this central plateau, this vast loneliness that will soon become the center of national decisions, I look once more at the future of my country and foresee this dawn with an unshakeable faith in its great destiny - Juscelino Kubitschek, October 2, 1956".
 The second floor is the residential part of the palace, with the presidential apartment consisting of four suites, two guest apartments and other private rooms.
 There are 72 employees currently working at the Palace, including secretaries, assistants, waiters, cooks, doctors and security personnel. The palace complex is protected by the Presidential Guard Battalion.


 Take a virtual tour of the Palace from within:

http://noticias.r7.com/brasil/fotos/faca-um-tour-virtual-pelo-palacio-da-alvorada-20111112-10.html#fotos