Barra Velodrome
 Interior view of the Barra Velodrome, during the 2007 Pan American Games | |
 | |
| Location | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | July 2007 |
| Demolished | 2013 |
| Construction cost | $35 million |
The Barra Velodrome was a track cycling venue located in Barra da Tijuca, in western Rio de Janeiro, and was one of three venues constructed as part of the City of Sports Complex for the 2007 Pan American Games, where it hosted track cycling and speed roller skating events. The venue was initially slated to host cycling events for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but was instead demolished in favour of the replacement Rio Olympic Velodrome, after the International Cycling Union (UCI) deemed the venue unsuitable for the games. The Olympic Aquatics Stadium now occupies the former site of the velodrome.
History
The facilities planned for the 2007 Pan American Games included the City of Sports Complex on the location of the Nelson Piquet International Autodrome, which encompassed an indoor arena, an aquatic center and a velodrome. The indoor arena for track cycling would be the first in Brazil and second in South America with a wooden track, built in the Netherlands with Siberian Pine by Sander Douma Architects. It would originally be a temporary facility, but by 2007 the Rio city administration decided to turn into a permanent one. Legal and bureaucratic issues made construction, which was supposed to have ended by the end of 2005, only pick up in early 2006, and the buildings were delivered on July 2007, shortly before the games.[1] After the conclusion of the games, the Barra Velodrome quickly became obsolete, as the venue failed to attract events in the years following the Pan American Games.[2]
The venue was dismantled in 2013, during the early stages of the Barra Olympic Park construction, in favour of a whole new Velodrome because it was not approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for Olympic events. Adapting it to meet the standard required by UCI would cost practically the same as building a new one.[citation needed] The original pieces of the velodrome were originally planned to go to Goiânia, only for the city to back out because of rebuilding costs, and then picked up by Pinhais.[citation needed] The Rio Olympic Velodrome, constructed north of the site of the Barra Velodrome, served as its replacement for the 2016 Summer Olympics, hosting cycling events. The temporary Olympic Aquatics Stadium, which hosted swimming and water polo, was built on the former site of the Barra Velodrome. It will be succeeded by two smaller swimming venues after the conclusion of the games.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Universo Online staff (2007). "Pan 2007 - Complexo do Autódromo [Portugese]". Universo Online. Grupo Folha. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Wagner, Fritz; Mahayni, Riad (9 March 2016). Transforming Distressed Global Communities: Making Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Cities. Routledge. ISBN 9781317007685.
- ^ World Build 365 staff (5 August 2016). "Sustainable Olympic aquatics stadium unveiled ready for Rio 2016 Games". World Build 365. ITE Group. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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External links
- City of Sports Complex, Rio 2007 official website (archive.org copy)