The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is now the World Capital of Architecture by 2020, thanks to UNESCO. It is the first time the group ever gave a distinction as important as this. In a press release they posted on their website, Rio will be the center for debates on the perspectives of cultural heritage, culture, architecture and urban planning. It will also be the host for the World Congress of Architects which happens every three years.
The city breeds an exciting mixture of historical and cutting edge architecture. From places like the Santiago Calatrava’s Museum of tomorrow, Parque Lage, Old Cathedral, Oscar Niemeyer’s Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art and Christian de Portzamparc’s Cidade das Artes is a testament of its diversity in structure and design.
The Niteroi Museum is probably the best building to represent the Rio’s innovative capabilities. With it’s bright red and distinctive saucer-shaped walkway resembling a UFO and a cliff-side location, it tops the list of must-see places for travelers around the globe. Today, the structure has hosted major events like fashion shows for luxury brands like Luis Vuitton which made it more prominent in the eyes of the world.
Rio De Janeiro produced not only great buildings but also builders like world-renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer, one of the fathers of the 20th-century modernism. The city is truly a gift to the world and a deserving recipient of UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture.