Designed by the late Niemeyer in the late 1960s and completed in 1972, the 33-storey Hotel Nacional overlooks the beach from the city's São Conrado neighbourhood.
Cylindrical in form, the tower boasts panoramic views out to sea. It features a 3,000-square-meter lobby, and 2,500-square-metre gardens designed by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. A huge sculpture of a mermaid by Brazilian artist Alfredo Ceschiatti is also located on the site.