vigliecca & associados completes youth arena for rio 2016 olympics

with the 2016 rio olympics fast approaching, ‘the youth arena’ by vigliecca & associados is one of the new and completed sports facilities located in deodoro olympic park in rio de janeiro.

all images © leonardo finotti

the arena by the brazilian architecture office is designated to host the women’s basketball competitions, modern pentathlon fencing and wheelchair fencing. once the olympics are over, it will be used as an education and training center for athletes. one challenge that the architects faced was the creation of a single space that would serve the pentathlon fencing games and the basketball matches held simultaneously. the games for both sports will take place six days apart – the first one being basketball. as a result, the arena can adapt its layout quickly to both sports and once the event is over, temporary installations or structures can be erected within the versatile space.

the design was heavily influenced by the form of a sports hangar

the design was heavily influenced by the form of a sports hangar, being coherently elegant with the olympic scale and presenting a vast span of 66.5 meters. most of the structure was constructed in steel to support the large spans. inside, natural ventilation and illumination will be used, the adjustable shading devices and screens on the façade, as well as the large shaded areas on the evelope all contribute to an overall lower maintenance cost. the artificial lighting insalled and air conditioning required by the olympic committee will only be used during the renowned sporting occasion.

the women’s basketball matches, pentathlon fencing and wheelchair fencing will take place

during the basketball matches, the stands will be placed on all sides of the court with a seating capacity for 5,000 people. the concept of creating a bowl in which the public surrounds the players is used in sports arenas to create the atmosphere of a spectacle. meanwhile, in the pentathlon fencing competitions, which require a larger floor space, the stands will be reduced to 4,000 seats and only occupy the sides of the court.

most of the structure was constructed in steel to support the large spans and also for its speed