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Shaped like an airplane when seen from above, the Plano Piloto (Pilot Plan) is the name of the original design for the city conceived by Lúcio Costa. The plan had four basic features: well-ventilated housing near green spaces; work spaces that were separate from housing; spaces for cultural activities near residential space; and the separation of vehicle and pedestrian pathways.
The Eixo (pronounced eye-shoo) Monumental, the "fuselage" portion of the plan, is lined with government buildings, museums, monuments, banks, hotels, and shops. It runs roughly from the Praça do Cruzeiro to the "cockpit," or the Praça dos Três Poderes. Intersecting the Eixo Monumental to form the Plano Piloto's "wings" is the Eixo Rodoviário. In and around the two main axes are streets and avenues that connect still more residential and commercial areas, parks and gardens, and the Lago Paranoá, formed by a dam built about 16 km (10 miles) southeast of the Plano Piloto. Along the outer shores of this lake, new neighborhoods are sprouting at a fast pace.
To view the best sunset in town, head to the Ermida Dom Bosco, in a peaceful setting by the southern shores of Lake Paranoá. There's a small shrine to Dom Bosco, but most people come here to walk, run, swim in the lake, or just watch the sunset with friends.
