Brasília: Superblocks in perspective

Abstract

The design for the Superquadra Norte 109 [North Superblock 109] of the Brasília Pilot Plan, Brazil’s Federal Capital, has started from a critical appraisal of the existent superblocks and makes a proposal that intends to: 1) establish clear relations of the block with the surroundings, stressing the importance of elements as the entrance for vehicles, the bus stop and the connections with the local shopping and the club, through the dimension and form of places, the localization of facilities, public lighting and vegetation; 2) improve internal legibility of the block, by creating places clearly defined by the buildings, to which entrance doors open; 3) create a street system in rings, not in a tree-like one, which are common in the existing superblocks, to improve internal circulation; 4) locate facilities internal to the superblock accessible to its entrance, by recognising (against what was predicted) that non-locals use them; 5) establish a continuous system of sidewalks that privileges the pedestrian, not the vehicle, as is traditional; 6) use vegetation and illumination to reinforce the identities of places in the superblock; 7) implement a configuration that explores a clear variation in forms, dimensions and uses, which favour the identity and orientability of the block; 8) configure open spaces and localise facilities of the superblock to favour co-presence and co-awareness among the inhabitants and between the latter and those passing by.