Brasília, UNESCO’s World Heritage: actions and instruments for the protection of urban space (1960-1987)

: This article is characterized as a case study that aims to analyze the two main moments of patrimonialization of Brasília, the capital of Brazil, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Based on a historical discussion of actions and legal instruments aimed at the preservation of the urban space of Brasília, the article develops within the framework of two questions: 1st) the inauguration of this city, during the government of Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961); 2nd) the indication of Brasília to the status of UNESCO World Heritage, during the 1980s. The results presented in the text were achieved through the interpretation of the pertinent historiography and the study of primary sources. In this sense, in the course of the text, we seek to answer the following questions: what were the legal mechanisms for preserving of the “Plano Piloto de Brasília” (Brasília Pilot Project), from 1960 to 1987, and in what historical context did they take place? What characteristics of theBrasília Pilot Projecthave we tried to include in the legal instruments (laws, decrees, ordinances, etc.)? What are the differences between preservationist experiences in the urban space of Brasília?