The Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the President of Brazil, is one of Oscar Niemeyer's major works. The palace is famous for its columns, which lend it an elegance that is in stark contrast with the monumentalism that tends to prevail in this type of building. The impression given is more that of a holiday villa, with its huge windows suggestive of openness to the public. The palace is surrounded by water, with its large swimming pool and ponds – Ceschiatti's statue As Banhistas (The Bathers) adds to the bucolic feel of the place – and, of course, the Paranoá Lake. Open to the public on Wednesdays.