By Ségolène Poirier, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Yesterday Mayor Eduardo Paes presented the contents of the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow). He said the work will be the great icon of revitalization of the Port Zone, in Centro.
During the presentation of the project, Paes once again defended the demolition of around the area saying that, contrary to what many critics say, the traffic in the region will better. Indeed since the project includes the construction of a tunnel, Mayor Paes believes that traffic capacity should double.
The museum, which will be erected at Píer Mauá in Rio’s Port Zone, should be ready by 2014, although some critics suggest the construction is behind schedule.
Museu do Amanhã is a post-modern futuristic structure built on 30,000 square meters and will have a garden, a reflecting pool, a bike path and a recreation area. This R$215 million (US$123 million) project was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
According to him, the museum was imagined in order to attract Rio’s population to the Port Zone. The visitor will walk through audiovisual environments, interactive installations and games, and be able to examine the past, understand the various trends of the present and simulate possible scenarios for the next fifty years.
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