Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
© Nido Huebl/Shutterstoc
Back to the future. 200th anniversary of Brazilian independence
Today we visit the Museum of the Future in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate 200 years of Brazilian independence. Designed by Spanish neofuturist architect Santiago Calatrava, the unique structure was commissioned to showcase Rio's revitalised waterfront ahead of the 2016 Olympics. The museum comprises five main areas: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow, and Us, each inviting visitors to interact in different ways and learn about living in a sustainable world.
Brazil gained independence from Portugal just a few decades after the United States broke off from Great Britain, though it happened in a decidedly different way. Don Pedro I, the first emperor of Brazil, was a member of the Portuguese ruling family (he would eventually briefly rule Portugal too). When Portugal threatened to take back the political autonomy Brazil had enjoyed since 1808, Pedro sided with his adopted homeland against the Portuguese. After a three-year war that was largely bloodless, the Empire of Brazil, which preceded the vibrantly diverse democracy we know today, was born on September 7, 1822.
Related Images
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge over Kunming Lake in Beijing Summer Palace, China
For the 30th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, bridges over the Vltava River, including the Charles Bridge and Old Town Bridge Tower, Prague, Czech Republic
Water wheels in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
Seville, Spain’s Guadalquivir River and Triana Bridge for the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s departure
London Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background, London, England
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
The High Trestle Trail Bridge in central Iowa
Infinity Bridge in Stockton-on-Tees, England
Bing Today Images
