Most countries opt for classical architecture when it comes to presidential and royal palaces, but not so for Brazil, whose president resides in the Palácio da Alvorada, an Oscar Niemeyer design christened in 1958. The palace measures an enormous 75,000 square feet—compared to just 55,000 for the White House—and includes a basement auditorium, enormous state rooms for official receptions, a library, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, two dining rooms, and a music room. Also on the grounds are a chapel and heliport. In 2004, then-First Lady Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva conducted a comprehensive restoration of the building and grounds.
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