It took 20 years to wait, but finally the Hotel Nacional in Rio De Janeiro designed by the great Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer  resumed his activity.
The iconic 108-meter-33-meter high  cylindrical tower stands on São Conrado beach , not far from Casa das Canoas, the residence designed in 1951 by the architect for himself and his family.
Designed in the late 1960s, Hotel Nacional was inaugurated in 1972 and has hosted for two decades concerts by the likes of BB King, Chet Baker, Liza Minelli, James Brown and kermis such as the Rio Film Festival, before closing its doors in 1995. Around the tower there is a 2500 square meter garden designed by architect Roberto Burle Marx which includes 46 native plant species.
After the abandonment today the skyscraper returns to its splendor thanks to the intervention of the Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotel , which has renamed the structure as Gran Meliá Nacional Rio de Janeiro Hotel, with 413 rooms and suites, two restaurants, three bars, swimming pool , wellness area, rooftop heliport and a 360 degree panoramic view.