Barra – Architecture of the Games

August 10, 2017April 11, 2025

Rio 2016; Legacy one year on; What happened to the venues in Barra

Photo courtesy of Miriam Jeske/Brasil2016.gov.br

CARIOCA ARENA 1/2/3

Type; New
Olympic Sports:
- Arena 1: Basketball
- Arena 2: Wrestling (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) + Judo
- Arena 3: Fencing + Taekwondo
Paralympic Sports;
- Arena 1: Wheelchair Basketball
- Wheelchair Rugby
- Arena 2: Boccia
- Arena 3: Judo
Legacy; Part of the Olympic Training Centre. Partly reopened in May 2017. (read more)

FUTURE ARENA

Type; New and temporary
Olympic Sports; Handball
Paralympic Sports; Goalball
Legacy; The Future Arena still has to be removed. Is planned to be re-used in the construction of four schools.

MARIA LENK AQUATICS CENTRE

Type; Existing
Olympic Sports; Diving + Synchronised Swimming + Water Polo
Paralympic Sports ; –
Legacy; Part of the Olympic Training Centre.

OLYMPIC AQUATICS STADIUM

Type; New and temporary
Olympic Sports; Swimming + Water Polo
Paralympic Sports; Swimming
Legacy; Only the pools are dismantled. The construction still stands.

OLYMPIC TENNIS CENTRE

Olympic Sports; Tennis
Paralympic Sports; Wheelchair Tennis (Centre Court, Court 2-9) / Football 5-a-side (Court 1)
Legacy; Hosted the FIVB Beach World Tour in May 2017

RIO OLYMPIC ARENA

Type; Existing
Olympic Sports; Gymnastics (gala, artistic, rhythmic and trampoline)
Paralympic Sports; Wheelchair Basketball
Legacy; Sport and cultural events

RIO OLYMPIC VELODROME

Type; New and permanent.
Olympic Sports; Track Cycling
Paralympic Sports; Para-cycling Track
Legacy; Part of the Olympic Training Centre. Reopened and hosted the Rio Bike Fest in May 2017. The venue was however damaged by a fire in July 2017. (read more)

RIOCENTRO PAVILION 2/3/4/6

Type; Existing
Olympic Sports;
- Pavilion 2: Weightlifting
- Pavilion 3: Table Tennis
- Pavilion 4: Badminton
- Pavilion 6: Boxing
Paralympic Sports;
- Pavilion 2: Powerlifting
- Pavilion 3: Table Tennis
- Pavilion 4: –
- Pavilion 6: Sitting Volleyball
Legacy; Exhibition and conventions centre

OLYMPIC GOLF COURSE

Type; New and permanent
Olympic Sports; Golf
Paralympic Sports; –
Legacy; Uncertain. Maintenance was stopped for a period, users claimed that the ‘green fees’ were to high and there are no big tournaments planned for the future.

BARRA OLYMPIC PARK

Reopened in January 2017
Open to the public on weekdays and public holidays.
New facilities and activities include; the Wall of Champions, multi-sport courts, an outdoor gym, a children’s play area and a skate park.
Will host Rock in Rio next month.

ATHLETES VILLAGE

Legacy; Uncertain
Read more: Rio’s $700 million athletes village was turned into luxury condos but is now reportedly ‘shuttered’ and 93% vacant

January 23, 2017April 11, 2025

Rio 2016; International Broadcast Centre / Main Press Centre

Photo: Martijn Giebels / Architecture of the Games

IBC/MPC

International Broadcast Centre / Main Press Centre

Architect; Aflalo & Gasperini
Year completed; 2016
MPC
- Built area; 77.000m2
- Floors; 24 (17 office floors)
- Opened 24 hours a day during the Olympics
IBC
- Capacity; 10.000 journalists
- Studios; 12, 5.000m2/each

HOTEL

Year completed; 2016
Capacity; 404 Rooms
Facilities; Swimming pool, convention centre, fitness centre and a bar

October 21, 2016April 11, 2025

Rio 2016; Samsung Galaxy Studio (UNStudio)

Ben van Berkel / UNStudio design the Samsung Galaxy Studio at Olympic Park for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Following an international competition to design the main Samsung showcase at the Olympic Park Pavilion, UNStudio was engaged to develop a design that builds on the brand’s history with the Olympic Games.

Courtesy of UNStudio

Samsung Electronics has been a Worldwide Olympic Sponsor in the Wireless Communications Equipment category since the Nagano 1988 Olympics. The design goal for the Samsumg Galaxy Studio was to develop an immersive visitor experience that incorporates pivotal design elements from the Samsung Galaxy brand philosophy.

The Galaxy Studio was specifically designed to help visitors embrace the excitement of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and celebrate the Olympic spirit, enabling them to create, capture and share their own experiences.

“The showcase exemplifies the theatre of multi-sensorial experiences that become possible when culture meets commerce. Providing an immersive retail experience that shifts from transaction to entertainment, the Samsung studio invites the visitor to experience the brand through storytelling and the simulation of real-world experiences. At once a theatre and a gallery, the pavilion demonstrates what we can look forward to in the future of retail.”

Ben van Berkel

The creative guidelines from Samsung Electronics called for a design that is clean and that uses simple lines, taking visual cues from the contemporary product lineup. As a result UNStudio developed a series of interpretative designs that aligned with the brand’s vision in 2016.

“The aspiration for the architecture was to facilitate a canvas for imbedded technology, interaction and memorable sensorial experiences for the visitors.”

Ben van Berkel

Courtesy of UNStudio

More info and photos after the break.

Continue reading “Rio 2016; Samsung Galaxy Studio (UNStudio)”

October 8, 2016April 11, 2025

Rio 2016; Barra Olympic Park

Design: AECOM (Winner of international competition in 2011)

Year completed: 2016

Size: 120 hectares / 9 Venues / 3 Non Competition Venues

Olympic Sports: 16; Basketball, Wrestling (Freestyle / Greco-Roman), Judo, Fencing, Teakwondo, Handball, Diving, Synchronized Swimming, Swimming, Tennis, Gymnastics (gala / artistic / rhythmic / trampoline) and Track Cycling

Paralympic Sports: 9; Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, Boccia, Judo, Goalball, Swimming, Wheelchair Tennis, Football 5-a-side and Para-cycling Track

Legacy: Legacy use include; Recreation and leisure hub / Housing / Public park / Rainforest education centre / Sport / Educational Campus