PROJECT BOARD
I will use the form I created in project # 6 as inspiration for a Samba School and Community Center in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil. The decorative ribbon in the design is reminiscent of the rhythm and festiveness of the famous Carnival festival, and the organic curved silhouette of the form fits with the modernism aesthetic of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer who’s structures are scattered throughout Rio and Southwestern Brazil. I will also use Glass, tile and concrete which are commonly used facades and building materials seen throughout Rio.
Every year Brazil celebrates it’s culture and people with the festival of Carnival. It’s a tradition that bridges the gap between social classes and brings together communities throughout the year. Samba schools, at their core, are teams of performers who practice and prepare throughout the year to perform at Carnival. They are typically community based and mostly associated with Brazil’s favelas or slum neighborhoods. They are highly ingrained in the day-to-day life of favela residence and people are as loyal to them as they are to the Brazilian futbol teams. Because of this, most Samba schools have developed into more of community centers and social clubs that offer educational resources and medical care.
I felt that my project 6 sculpture aesthetically represents the purpose of the Samba school and the culture it represents but one challenge will be in adapting the overall form to a structure that logistically suites it’s purpose without losing the essence of the original sculpture. To do this I may need to add additional structures or change the proportions of the existing form.
The large opening created by the wide curve will serve as the front of the building and by using a curtain system of glass and tile panels to enclose the space, I will be able to seamlessly integrate a normal entry door as well as secondary large garage or commercial style door that can be used to move through large parade floats or groups in marching formation. I’m still deciding if the circular opening at the top will remain an inverted cone or will just serve as a large circular skylight. Either way, it will allow a great deal of natural light into the building.
The building is to be centrally located within the favela which it represents. It will require a good amount of space and since most of the favelas in Rio are on densely packed hillsides, I will locate the building on top of one of the hills, overlooking the community.