Parking spaces on the two lower levels are reached via a large atrium in the middle of the inner court.
The roof to the atrium is in the form of an impressive, eye-catching, steel-and-glass sculpture. Inspired by the nearby Atlantic Ocean, architect Nir Sivan has created a wave – the Carioca Wave.
As one of the first free-form roofs of this kind in South America, the Carioca Wave rises out of a pool on the ground level, arches over the atrium and finishes in the lower shopping level. This three-dimensional curved sculpture measures 50m long, 25m wide and 15m high. Its individual geometry places high demands on design and construction. Therefore, seele developed a gridshell structure of steel hollow sections in various lengths. The nodes presented a particular challenge. It is the nodes that create the complex geometry and therefore have to be fabricated with their angles exactly right. The roof is made up of a total of 503 triangular panes of heat-strengthened glass in different sizes attached with omega clamps and point fixings. The high accuracy of seele’s production facilities combined with international team spirit have resulted in a unique structure.
Reference overview and Header image: © Marcio Irala
