Rubem Braga Elevator Complex: connecting the favelas with the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

About Rio de Janeiro

Located in the south-east region of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is the country’s second largest metropolis in terms of economy and population, with almost 6.5 million city inhabitants and an estimated 12.2 million within its metropolitan region (UNESCO, 2016). Cradled between mountains and the Guanabara Bay, the city uniquely fuses nature and culture. The urban fabric is a sharp contrast of skyscrapers, manors, parks and open green areas, and informal settlements – favelas. This diversity is reflected in an archipelago of very different socio-economic urban cores with their own communities, that present a strong inequality in social and urban conditions. 22% of the city’s population (about 1.4 million) lives in the favelas, the highest figure in Brazil. The World Heritage site of Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2012 under criteria (v) and (vi). The property encompasses 7,248.78 ha with a buffer zone of 8,621.38 ha.

This cultural landscape consists of an exceptional urban setting encompassing the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired the development of the city: from the highest points of the Tijuca National Park’s mountains down to the sea. It comprises the Botanical Gardens, established in 1808, Corcovado Mountain with its celebrated statue of Christ, and the hills around Guanabara Bay, including the extensive designed landscapes along Copacabana Bay, which have contributed to the outdoor living culture of this spectacular city. Rio de Janeiro is also recognised for the artistic inspiration it has provided to musicians, landscapers and urbanists.

The city’s densest buildings sit on the narrow strips of alluvial land between the mountains and the sea, laid out in irregular clusters of tall white blocks which contrast vividly with the green vegetation of the mountains and the blue of the sea. None of these buildings are included in the World Heritage property, but a significant number of them are included in the buffer zone.

 
^{Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea. All photos © Ko Hon Chiu Vincent}

Rubem Braga Elevator Complex: connecting the favelas with the city

Unlike urban growth patterns of other Latin American cities, in Rio de Janeiro, many of the favelas have remained as urban enclaves within the city’s core. In recent years, there has been broader recognition of the favelas as engines of culture and creativity and places of economic and social innovation. Wider endorsement of the favelas as a trademark of the city has been demonstrated by their integration in the city’s branding process. This recognition was not only made by local community associations and NGOs, but also by the wider public and city authorities.

Since 2010, residents of the low-income communities of Cantagalo and Pavao, located within the buffer zone of the World Heritage property, have enjoyed better access to and from their homes and to public transport in the city by using an 80 m elevator complex. The Rubem Braga Elevator Complex, named after the Brazilian writer, has served as a major gateway linking different areas of the city via two 30-person elevators, stairs and a pedestrian bridge.

The Ruben Braga Elevator consists of two towers, one 64 meters high, the other 23 meters, connected by a 48-meter walkway. It connects the favelas to the Praça General Osorio Metro stop and includes a 23-story high lookout of Ipanema and Copacabana conceived as a tourist destination.

The complex was built on the premise of fostering inclusivity for the urban poor and democratising access to urban public spaces. As a result, project reports defend that community safety has improved, while crime and landslide risk have reduced.

Source: Culture Urban Future, UNESCO, 2016, p. 115. Coimbra University, report for Study Area 8

   
^{Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea. © Ruy Salaverry}

To learn more

• Read the article High-Flying Rubem Braga Elevator Complex Improves Pedestrian Accessibility in Rio de Janeiro by Bridgette Meinhold, published in 2011 on InHabitat (in English).
• Read the description of the architectural project Rubem Braga Elevator Complex / JBMC Arquitetura e Urbanismo on ArchDaily (in English).
• Browse through the technical drawings, photographs and descriptions included in JBMC Arquitetura & Urbanismo’s website (in English, Portuguese and Spanish).
• Read Prêmio APCA 2011 – Categoria “Obra de arquitetura no Brasil”. Premiado: João Batista Martinez Corrêa / Mirante da Paz – Complexo Elevador Rubem Braga, Rio de Janeiro, Renato Anelli. Drops, São Paulo, year 12, n. 051.07, Vitruvius, December 2011 (in Portuguese).
• Read the project description in the BAQ Archive of Panamerican Architecture (in Spanish).

Cover image: © Ko Hon Chiu Vincent

Note: The cases shared in this platform address heritage protection practices in World Heritage sites and beyond. Items being showcased in this website do not entail any type of recognition or inclusion in the World Heritage list or any of its thematic programmes. The practices shared are not assessed in any way by the World Heritage Centre or presented here as model practices nor do they represent complete solutions to heritage management problems. The views expressed by experts and site managers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Heritage Centre. The practices and views shared here are included as a way to provide insights and expand the dialogue on heritage conservation with a view to further urban heritage management practice in general.