The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brasilia is quite difficult to call a church in the classical sense. The religious structure is a dome created from 16 interconnected columns, which symbolize the raised hands to the sky.

The free space between the columns is occupied by bright blue stained glass windows, giving the interior of the temple a cool light. And to enter the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you need to walk along a dark and long corridor.

This unusual project was designed and created by one of the most famous architects of the XX century - Oscar Niemeyer. He used three main materials: reinforced concrete, metal and glass, but did not think of a good ventilation system and acoustics. The temple is quite bad acoustics, and on sunny days the building heats up quite quickly.

Nevertheless, the Catholic Church consecrated this temple. And now up to 4,000 parishioners can pray within its walls. Its total area is 3848 square meters, and its height is approximately 40 meters. And in 1988, the architect received the Pritzker Prize for this ambitious project.