Rio de Janeiro City Tower Academic Competition

For this competition the project under consideration will be located in the bay of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which is the obligatory approach for aircraft landing at the city′s airport and will comprise a vertical structure which will seek to become a symbol for those arriving in Rio, creating an image potent enough to enable Rio to triumph in its bid to host the summer Olympics in 2016. The challenge, therefore, consists of designing a Lighthouse-Tower which will become a symbol welcoming all those who visit Rio de Janeiro, whether they arrive by air or sea.

This vertical element of at least 100 meters in height should be sufficiently versatile to house multiple sporting and cultural events, as well as providing a space for recreation and serving as a huge lighthouse composed of multiple LED units (ultraviolet light-emitting diodes) located all the way from the highest part of the edifice, along, ,s entire architectural structure, to the base. The Lighthouse-Tower should be an easily distinguishable object capable of imposing its presence within the context of the urban and natural surroundings of the city. Nevertheless, the competitors may choose to produce totally experimental designs which express opposite extremes, ranging from to subordination of the urban profile and surrounding landscape to the option of creating a new model which will serve to redefine the idea of a "monument" in the context of the debate regarding the paradisiacal and the cosmopolitan.

Objectives of The Competition
The objectives of the competition "Rio de Janeiro 2009" are as follows:
- To convene architectural ideas from around the world in order to select the best project to be located in the bay of the city Ro de Janeiro.
- To bring together the best ideas relating to urban consciousness and, at the same time, capable of highlighting tha natural landscape which is the essentialcontext of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
- To generate a discussion of the ideas related to architectural intervention in globalized contemporary metropolises.

Prizes
First Prize
- The Government of Rio de Janeiro will adopt the winning project and implement it as part of its campaign to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. And eventually will contract the architect to develop the project.
- Two air tickets to enable the winners to participate in the prize-giving ceremony and the exhibition of the winning projects which will be held at the Universidad Estacio de Sa in February 2009.
- Accommodiaton for three nights for two persons in Rio de Janeiro.
- A conference for the winning architect with the authorities of the government of Rio and the Estacio de Sa University.
- 200 copies of the exclusive publication of Arquitectum -called "Rio 2009"- which will include all the winning projects (including the honorable mentions), as well as a summary of the projects (photos, career, etc.) of the members of each team.
- A guided visit and architectural tour (led by an architect guide) of the most important contemporary architectural monuments of Rio de Janeiro, including: Ministry of Education (Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, Le Corbusier), Museum of Modern Art (Eduardo Alfonso Reidy), Museum of Contemporary Art (Oscar Niemeyer)

Second Prize
- 1.000 Dollars
- 100 copies of the exclusive publication of Arquitectum -called "Rio 2009"- which will include all the winning projects (including the honorable mentions), as well as a summary of the projects (photos, career, etc.) of the members of each team.

Third Prize
50 copies of the exclusive publication of Arquitectum -called "Rio 2009"- which will include all the winning projects (including the honorable mentions), as well as a summary of the projects (photos, career, etc.) of the members of each team.

9 Honorable Mentions
Each Honorable mention will receive 15 copies of the exclusive publication of Arquitectum -called "Rio 2009"- which will include all the winning projects (including the honorable mentions), as well as a summary of the projects (photos, career, etc.) of the members of each team. In addition, some Honorable Mentions will be published in a number of architectural magazines and websites around the world.

Fees
Special Registration: 100 Dollars
Early Bird Registration: 150 Dollars
Late Registration: 200 Dollars

Competition Schedule
15 August 2008: Announcement of Competition
15 September 2008: Start of Competition
15 - 30 September 2008: Special Registration
01 - 31 October 2008: Early Bird Registration
01 - 30 November 2008: Late Registration
15 October 2008: Questions Deadline
20 December 2008: Submission Deadline
01 - 20 January 2009: Jury Evaluations
01 February 2009: Winners Announced
March 2009: Rio Exhibition

http://www.arquitectum.com/index.php