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Massive Waterfall Proposed for Rio Olympics, But at What Cost?

by Matthew Zuras on May 4, 2010 at 08:30 AM

Rio Waterfall at Olympics
The Swiss architecture firm RAFAA must have been inspired by its Danish-Icelandic neighbor Olafur Eliasson when dreaming up this proposal for Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian city was recently selected to host the 2016 Olympics, and RAFAA submitted this enormous sun-powered waterfall, called Solar City Tower, to the Games' International Architecture Competition. While Eliasson's $15.5 million public art project in New York drew scores of tourists but also plenty of scorn from local businesses and environmentalists, RAFAA's design aims to give as much as it takes.

The solar panel-embedded structure will primarily collect rays throughout the day and act as a power station for Rio, while the excess power will be used to run the massive pumps bringing the seawater to the top of the tower. The force of the water's fall will create additional hydroelectric power, as well. The designers are hoping to make the 2016 Olympics as energy-neutral as possible.

Questions loom, of course. Although Rio isn't known for bad weather, will an overcast spell send the Solar City Tower into paralysis? And with a structure this large, the spray of solvent seawater is sure to damage plants and buildings, just as Eliasson's did. How will RAFAA deal with the environmental impact of architecture that is supposed to conserve the planet, not kill it? And at what addition to the presumably monumental cost of construction? With the proposed inclusion of shops, an amphitheater, cafeteria and auditorium, the Solar City Tower is going to need quite a lot of electricity. Will the square footage of the exterior be broad enough to generate that kind of wattage? If there is anything we know about waterfalls, chasing them isn't always the best idea. [From: Treehugger]

Tags: 2016Olympics, architecture, design, DesignConcept, green, hydroelectric, OlafurEliasson, olympics, rafaa, RioDeJaneiro, RioDeJaneiroOlympics2016, solar, sports, top, waterfall

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