Cidade das Artes
Atelier Christian de Portzamparc
November 09, 2015
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The building is a
small city contained in one big structure raised and established on a vast
terrace ten meters above ground. The terrace, with views of the sea and the mountains,
is floating above a public park - a tropical, aquatic garden designed by
Fernando Chacel.Paying homage to
an archetype of Brazilian architecture, Cidade das Artes is seen as a large
house - a great veranda above the city.The halls are
contained behind large curved concrete walls, in a play of volumes and voids,
between the two horizontal plates of the roof and terrace. The terrace is a
public gathering space that provides access to all the facilities.The facilities
include a concert hall, that can be converted into an opera house, a
performance space for chamber music and popular music, movie theaters, dance
studios, numerous rehearsal rooms, exhibition spaces, restaurants, and a media
library.Cidade das Artes
is a highly visible urban signal, a new landmark in the greater Rio area. The
architecture echoes the beautiful curves of the Sierra Atlantica Mountains and
the line of the sea. For train travelers arriving from the north zone, it forms
the entry point to Barra da Tijuca on Ayrton Senna Avenue.
Cidade das Artes is situated between the sea and the
mountains in the center of Barra da Tijuca; a newly developed district of Rio
de Janeiro.
