Centro Comunitario

Recreation centre

Favela Julio Otoni, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2005-2008

Status: direct commission

Client: Julio Otoni favela in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

Local architect: Nanda Eskes, Rio de Janeiro

Engineer: Patrick Gartmann

Collaborators: Yuu César Barreyre, Giulia Furlan, Dries Rodet

The project for the Community Centre Julio Otoni in the eponymous favela of Rio de Janeiro has one primary goal: maximum space for minimal cost. The small footprint and growing volumes provide the key solution to this problem: The space gets bigger towards the top and at the same time offers protection from the rain and sun. Thanks to this the building doesn’t need glass - all windows are made of wooden panels. Due to small spans, local materials and building techniques, people from the favela can build it by themselves. There is one significant difference between the local buildings and the Community centre. Local buildings are always ‘add-ons’ or extensions. If there is money they just continue to build. So a local building never finds its final form. The Community centre is conceived as one, as a whole - it can not be extended. This difference is felt in the community and makes it a public building.