but the unique architecture of the plaza and the sambadromo is also a touristic attraction in itself. designed by the famous oscar niemeyer, the entire area is open to the public for most of the year - niemeyer also collaborated with other architects and played a hand in designing the united nations headquarters in new york and had much influence on the architecture of brasilia, brazil's capital city.

niemeyer enjoyed working with natural curves and forms in his architecture and an element of debate surrounds the symbolic meaning of the arch, located at the steps of the museum of samba that opens onto the square of rua frei caneca. some even argue that it represents a woman in a bikini but it is open to interpretation.