Brazilian property receives makeover before president returns
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will return to his Brazilian property when the country's White House re-opens following a facelift which has taken a year-and-a-half to finish.
Costing US$56 million (£36.5 million) to complete, the renovation is the first since the building was inaugurated in 1960.
It now features new, modern elevators and electrical and hydraulic installations, making it one of the most impressive Brazilian properties around.
"All the furniture in the building is now Brazilian-made, including many pieces that have been restored, like 400 tables – among them two used by president Juscelino Kubitschek – the man who built Brasilia. Another famous table in the palace is a huge one used for cabinet meetings," said a report in Brazzilmag.com.
The building could soon be regularly used by Dilma Rousseff, who is favourite to be Brazil's next president after she beat Jose Serra in his own home state during opinion polls.
Posted by John Holmes
