In 2016 Rio de Janeiro will host South America’s first Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. Brazil has begun preparing, working for the upcoming mega-events to serve as a catalyst for the construction of modern sport infrastructure, communications, and transportation amenities including the addition of a bullet train system. Attempts to improve Rio through these extensive projects have ignored areas of potential allowing opportunity for investigation. Adjacent to historic Leopoldina train station, the addition of a busing terminal will utilize the current abandoned train yard to ameliorate the pressures of pedestrian traffic to Rio during and after the Games. Bridging a connection to and through the site will allow for a vibrant integration of infrastructure and public recreational spaces. Design strategies take into account the culture heritage and urban implications of spatial and social forms. My thesis site sits within the Maracana Olympic Zone in the Northern district of Rio. The project site is a 600,000 square foot abandoned train yard located at the central axis of the Maracana Zone. The site personifies ‘urban chaos,’ being located at a pivotal node of transport, commercial, and housing conditions. The train yard belongs to the historic Estacao Barao de Maua (Leopoldina station). What is now a dilapidated train station was closed to passengers in 2001, with the relocation of the terminal to Rio Central Station. Currently, the terminal, which belongs to the state, is used partly as a storehouse for trains. Most of the time, the station remains empty and closed but its street condition is still used as a bus stop providing minimal cover from the elements. According to plans, Leopoldina station will become Rio de Janeiro’s point of departure and arrival for the new bullet train system to be completed by the summer of 2016. The TAV (Trem de Alta Velocidade) is a nine billion, 322-mile high-speed train intended to connect Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo, at speeds of up to 220 mph, allowing trips between Rio and Sao Paulo in only ninety minutes. The funding for the TAV derives from the push to create new infrastructure for the upcoming World Cup and Summer Games. My architectural intervention implements a busing terminal that will utilize the abandoned train yard bordering the station to ameliorate the pressures of pedestrian traffic to Rio during and after the Games. Being that my site is also a critical juncture of Rio’s metro system there is a current need for the development of these organizational amenities. With its vast size and centralized location, my chosen site warrants a design project with multiple programs. Proposing not only a bussing terminal, but with the addition of commercial, and public recreational spaces, I will exploit the site’s potential during and after the Games. The busing terminal is defined by size parameters necessary to facilitate an adequate number of busses for the amount of patrons using the train station. It is the design of the terminal’s ‘covering’ which defines my architectural design application. The ‘covering,’ in actuality is a raised walkway bridging a connection to and through the site. The form of the walkway is triangulated to imply the direction of movement. The narrow end acts at the point of entry, while the triangular form widens to infer three distinct points of destination: the bussing terminal, the park, and the primary plaza space. This allows for a vibrant integration of infrastructure and public recreational spaces, as well as proper connectivity to the nearest Metro Station; Cidade Nova. The walkway supplies sufficient vertical circulation allowing easy movement up and over the busy streets adjacent to my site. With Rio’s dynamic environment, reuse and renewal strategies must take into account cultural heritage and deep implications of spatial and social forms. The creation of a lake, as well a recreational soccer field allows for the space to regenerate an area of the city that is heavy in industrial traffic and lacks public space. The design of the recreational park and lake apply what I am able to understand about Brazilian design and the ability for rigid built form to comfortably collide with naturally curved public space. ‘Urban chaos’ is an adequate word to describe the environment surrounding my site and indubitably within Rio. Some would see ‘urban chaos’ as something to avoid, but within architecture positive result can spawn from the proper manipulation and use of space, for both public and private entities. My research of Olympics driven development has lead me to an optimistic view for the future. Responsive architectural design and planning will help Rio de Janeiro in its goals for creating a positive, lasting Olympic legacy.

• published: 10 Mar 2016
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