We took the tour. Visited the President's office, the Senate and other offices. Not as nice as some, but unique and representative of an upcoming modern Brazil. Sculptures were interesting. It takes about one hour to tour and see everything. Updating would help. Still impressed.

I struggled to decide my opinion on Three Powers Plaza, after visiting the site on four different occasions during my visit to Brasilia. On the one hand, it lacks the features of the wonderful plazas of South American cities that I love so much (e.g. Montevideo's plazas along the Avenida 18 July, Santiago's Plaza de Armas, Quito's Plaza Mayor, etc.). Three Powers Plaza is huge, over-scaled, and as such pulls all activity (and occupants of the space) far apart. The place feels larger than life. Though there is seating, shade is limited, and you'll notice the vendors positioned closely to the statues of the plaza to take advantage of what shade they provide. Finally, there are no shops or cafes lining the plaza to encourage you to linger. In spite of these glaring differences, and what would otherwise be major limitations, I still found myself completely enchanted by the space each time I visited. The majesty and grandeur of the principle government buildings anchoring the plaza, coupled with the various whimsical landmarks that dot the space and its perimeter, make it truly captivating. Brutalist modernism at its utmost, but that was the intent, and it delivers in its ability to inspire awe in the occupant of the space. In the end, I couldn't help but rate the plaza as an "excellent" 5-star destination, but you have to visit with the correct expectations and frame of mind.