For the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Swiss studio RAFAA propose the competition entry ‘Solar City Tower’ that—packed with solar panels and sustainable features—wants to help make Rio’s Olympic Games the first ever zero-carbon games.
From the brief of the international architecture competition: „The project under consideration should be located in the bay of the city of Rio de Janeiro on the Cotonduba Island, which is the obligatory approach for aircraft landing and will comprise a vertical structure which will seek to become a symbol for those arriving in Rio, creating an image potent enough to enable Rio to triumph in its bid to host the summer Olympics in 2016. The challenge, therefore, consists of designing an observation tower which will become a symbol welcoming all those who visit Rio de Janeiro, whether they arrive by air or sea.“
Detailed project description from RAFAA:
Concept
“The aim of this project is to ask how the classic concept of a landmark can be reconsidered. It is less about an expressive, iconic architectural form; rather, it is a return to content and actual, real challenges for the imminent post-oil-era.
This project represents a message of a society facing the future; thus, it is the representation of an inner attitude. Our project, standing in the tradition of “a building/city as a machine”, shall provide energy both to the city of Rio de Janeiro and its citizens while using natural resources. We hope to attain an international Olympic message with a political appeal. After hosting the United Nation’s Earth Summit in 1992, Rio de Janeiro will once again be the starting point for a global green movement and for a sustainable development of urban structures.
It will perhaps even become a symbol for the first zero carbon footprint Olympic Games.
Approach
The project consists of a solar power plant that by day produces energy for the city respectively the Olympic village. Excessive energy will be pumped as seawater into a tower. By night, the water can be released again; with the help of turbines, it generates electricity for the night. The electricity produced can be used for the lighting of the tower or for the city.
On special occasions, this “machine building” turns into an impressive wonder of nature: an urban waterfall, a symbol for the forces of nature. At the same time, it will be the representation of a collective awareness of the city towards its great surrounding landscape. Via an urban plaza located 60 meters over sea level you gain access to the building. Through the amphitheatre, you reach the entrance situated on the ground floor.
Organisation
Both entrance area and amphitheatre can serve as a place for social gatherings and events. The public spaces are also accessible from this point on. The cafeteria and the shop are situated beneath the waterfall and offer a breathtaking view. The public elevator takes the visitor to the observation decks and the urban balcony. The administration offices can be reached directly from the foyer. Its inner circulation is organised by an own entrance and the elevator.
The semi-public spaces are located in the back area of the building; thus, they can be used separately. A retractable platform for bungee jumping is located on level +90.5. Long distance observation can be done from the observation deck on level +98.0. The urban balcony is situated at the top of the tower 105 meters above sea level. Here the visitor has a 360° view of the landscape and can experience the waterfall while walking over the glass sky walk.”
Really marvellous thinking 2 design such a wonder. . Great idea, . . Hats off to RAAFA. . . . .
Well, it’s not that interesting this monster tower at all. unless gays will have their own sections this tower is unwelcoming as it seems. gays must and should have their own private sections added prior to its construction. this freakish tower should be a landmark for gays only when people want to have upmost sex in the world upon arriving to Rio.
Im sorry to say this but you are a very disturbing person.
Frankly, I’m tired of all this politically correct “zero carbon” NONSENSE. If they really want a zero carbon Olympics, they need to put all the track and field competitors onto treadmills and stationary bicycles, and then capture and utilize all the wasted energy they expend running, vaulting, cycling, and so on. There’s no way they are going to power an Olympic CITY completely with solar power, much less have “excess energy” left over during the day to store to run the city all night.
Meanwhile, these visionaries are locating this “zero footprint” landmark on a tiny, completely unpopulated island, that is in no way a prospective Olympic venue, or even suitable to house Olympic competitors. So anyone who wants to use any of the meeting facilities will have to be ferried over from the mainland (gee, that’s not energy wasteful!); and to power the Olympic city, they will have to run thick, lossy underwater cables to the mainland. I predict that within 20 years, those cables will be powering the broken-down equipment on the island, not the other way around.
You must be a MORAN to think like that……………………
……………….any inspirational idea is great………………looking into future !!
If world think the way you think…………….
we might be still useing ‘Whale oil’ !! …………Dark AGE ??!!
Yes, thank you for the predictable green retort. “Any inspirational idea is great.” I remember the “visionaries” saying exactly the same thing about eugenics.
To you guys, whether something is “good” or “bad” is all about purity of intentions. By the time the actual horrifying (but predictable) results are glaringly apparent to everybody, you’ve all moved on to your next unicorns-and-stardust project and refuse to be judged by actual RESULTS.
You can throw away your money on any project you like, as long as you don’t claim the power to vacuum MY wallet for your impractical fantasies.
You remember the “visionaries” saying the same thing about eugenics…. how old are you exactly?
I’ll have to remember in the future: that all hope and inspiration ultimately results in genocide, an important lesson, thanks Stan Marsh.
What a wonder
This is really a wonderful idea. I hope the developers must have worked out the technical feasibility of having such a structure. It will be really wonderful to see its success.
how much energy will it take to make and maintain compared to what it saves? What are they doing with the waste left over from construction? Do they know solar panels are made from a bunch of toxins and probably aren’t good for the ocean?
One falls in love with the idea of zero carbon footprint; often, achieving it costs more than not achieving it.
Observe the architect who put 360,000 lights onto the facade of his building and then tells the world how much he saved in energy by using LEDs. It takes an incredible amount of self-delusion to believe that you ‘save’ energy by installing all those lights.
I suppose that if we can believe that we ‘save’ more by buying more goods at the sales, we can believe anything…
We should try to go for the zero carbon footprint, but let’s be honest about it shall we?
I guess this is not feasible… The number of solar panels in that area is not even enough for the pumps to be used for the waterfalls alone… Unless they have a way to make the waterfalls look like bigger than what actually fall. Or probably they will sort another “renewable energy” coming from other source.
I’m sure the oil companies love you pseudo engineer naysayers.
It is only a concept on paper and proposal which may not see the lights at all.
I think it’s…BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to go! Brazil.
Why do you choose to publsh these freakishly disturbing views of some who obviously should be disregarded as the extreme pessimists they are? If given a chance to see such a structure, I know even THEY would stand in awe of the finished product. Go for a visit and THEN, see if you feel the same.