Winners of the [RIO DE JANEIRO] Symbolic World Cup Structure Competition

The [RIO DE JANEIRO] Symbolic World Cup Structure competition has announced its winners. Hosted by [AC-CA], the international ideas competition invited architects and students of architecture and engineering to design a freestanding World Cup Structure on Rio de Janeiro's lively Lapa Square during the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup. The program includes a café for snacks and social interaction, a big screen for live public viewing of the games, news and interviews, an area for information desk and souvenir shop, as well as administrative and facility spaces.

The Jury was composed of Pablo Resende (architect, Brazi); Mario Cubeddu (architect/lecturer, IItaly); and Jennifer Beningfield (architect/writer, South Africa).

First Place

Team Member: Karim Hassayoune
Country: France
Team Type: Architect

From the Jury Report:

"The soaring wings of the pavilion attach to and spring out of the structure of the aqueduct, while glazed modular boxes tuck under it to house the functional requirements of the project. The use of a light weight, translucent and playful arched structure in contrast to the heaviness and regularity of the original aqueduct successfully brings the old and the new into an interesting dialogue with one another. "

"The shell-like structure is designed to both protect users of the space and to open out into the space of the square, by providing it with the focus of the raised projection screen. The success of the project is in the reinterpretation of, and connection to, a repetitive massive historic structure in a way that is fresh and contemporary and engages with the temporary nature of the project. The illumination of the proposal at night is notable too, as is the quality of the presentation material, which communicates the ideas behind the project in a clear and engaging way."

"Based on the specificity of the site, this design elaborates on the relationship to the existing aqueduct geometry, but it also introduces a floating and multi-directional space. It orients itself to the city texture, to the flows of visitors exploring the park and most importantly. This simple yet elegant design embodies perfectly the ephemerality demanded for this pavillion without losing any aesthetic or functional qualities. The project is a clear interpretation of the site with a “bright conversation” with the aqueduct structure. The overt dialogue with the site gives to the project an interesting originality, becoming a new icon for the world cup event. The celebration of the site, the calibrated shape of the building and its precise graphic representation deserve the first prize."

Second Place

Team Members: Antonio Ochoa, Romer Valera, Javier Caceres, Maria Antonieta Loaiza
Country: China
Team Type: Architect

From the Jury Report:

"The curve of this project forms two complementary spaces within the square, one more protected in the shelter of the 'sail', and the other which expands into the larger space formed by the convex curve. The structural strategy is carefully thought out, and is appropriate to the temporary nature of the building. The 'pods' below the curve are an elegant solution to the planning of service functions within an overarching formal gesture and support the simplicity of the idea."

"The project transforms a familiar outdoor cinema screen into an architectural structure by curving it, modulating it and placing it carefully in relationship to the aqueduct. It has the potential to be further developed into a very rich and layered architecture, which is anchored by an initial simple and powerful idea."

Through a clear and balanced design this proposal gently fills the square embracing the aqueduct in a subtle way. A precise plan allows for permeability and establishes a relation between the surroundings, the screen and the public. This clever solution, combined with a flawless presentation, granted this proposal it’s place among the top 3.

"The concept of the new temporary building makes the project an interesting interpretation of the site through the use of the flexibility, the simplicity of the shape and permeability of the space. Moreover, the clear representation become the perfect ingredient to communicate this peculiarity and to gain a prize."

Third Place

Team Members: Lukas Specks, Gonzalo Lizama, Onur Özdemir
Country: Germany
Team Type: Student

From the Jury Report:

"The conceptual clarity and beautiful presentation of this project put it into the top three. The use of an abstract floating cloud, which can be raised or lowered above the space of the square, forms an adaptable and highly visible element in the city. The ephemeral quality of the project, and the use of shipping containers set onto the site to anchor the cloud, confirms the nature of the pavilion as transitory and temporary."

"The entire structure can be packed up and moved with ease, and has no impact on the surfaces of the square in the longer term.The cloud can be illuminated at night, so it forms a floating sign pointing to the gathering place of the square. It is an intelligent and poetic response to the brief and to the issues around temporary buildings."

"This beautifully light proposal manages to balance the temporality this pavillion asks with the epic scale it deserves. It's construction is simple and cheap while it's effects are outstanding. The great cloud, which changes according to the games or specific moments of the day, provides an spectacular spatial experience effortlessly. Several of the ideas developed in this work are worthy of a deeper research and should, in the future, lead to amazing architecture."

"This project showed a very understanding of free standing structure and its temporary use. It is simple clear and well represented. The site it isn’t important but only the evanescent celebration of the world cup making the structure as a center, becoming site itself."

The Jury also announced seven projects to receive an Honorable Mention which you can check out in the image gallery below.

All images courtesy of [RIO DE JANEIRO] Symbolic World Cup Structure competiton.