Convention Center Ulysses Guimarães

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Brasília
Brasília Travel info

The construction of the Brasilia Convention Center started in 1973; the idea was to install a cultural center.
The Convention Center is one of the few important buildings in Brasilia which were not designed by Oscar Niemeyer; instead, the project was assigned to Brazilian architect Sérgio Bernardes.

In 1978, the Center went through a major overhaul. Conventions and exhibitions were already becoming an important factor of attractions of tourists to Brasilia; the former cultural center was turned into a convention center.
Between 1979 and 1989, the center hosted more than 500 events. In 1989, the center was used in the counting of votes of the election, the first after the redemocratization of Brazil.
In 1992, the center was named after Ulysses Guimarães, an important politician who died that year. Around the same time, Sérgio Bernardes was called to design the expansion of the convention center, which had become small for the growing number of events happening in Brasilia.

The Convention Center today has two wings, one for fairs and exhibits and other for conventions. The exhibition area has 11,000 sq. meters, fitting 275 booths. The auditorium has capacity for 4,100 people.

Image: Government of the Federal District

The image shows an illustration of the Convention Center. The buildings in the background are the Stadium Mané Garrincha (far right), the Arena Nilson Nelson and the Buriti Palace (Seat of Government of the Federal District).

The Convention Center is situated between the two expressways of the Monumental Axis, about 2 km distant from the Brasilia hotels sector.

The Convention Center doesn't have an official website. This site, however, covers most events happening in Brasilia.

Update. The photo is already old.
The round building in the background used to be Arena Nilson Nelson, and the stadium in the right hand side was the old Mane Garrincha Stadium.
The Arena was demolished, and the old stadium was replaced by the new National Stadium Mane Garrincha, stage of matches of the World Cup in Brasilia.