Rio Mais Consortium, who have managed the area's infrastructure and maintenance for the past 15 years, won the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) conducted by Rio de Janeiro Municipal back in March last year.

The consortium trio is made up of construction companies - Norberto Obedbracht, Andrade Gutie and Cavalho Hosken.

"Today is a historical day for Brazilian sport," said Carls Nuzman, the President of Rio 2016.

"The Olympic Park is the heart of the Games, and after 2016 it will leave as a legacy the first Olympic Training Camp in South America."

A total of 14 Olympic sports consisting of basketball, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, handball, tennis, cycling, diving, water polo, swimming, synchronised swimming, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline will be staged at the venue.

Along with nine Paralympic sports - wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, bocce, judo, sitting volleyball, goalball, wheelchair tennis, cycling and swimming.

The work will coincide with the deactivation of the Brazilian Grand Prix circuit Jacarepagaua, also known as Nelson Piquet International Autodrome (pictured below), due to begin at the quarter end of the year.


The venue, which was built on marshland in 1978, managed to fend off demolition back in 2005, however, in 2008 it was ruled that it would be destroyed to make way for new facilities for South America's first Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The uncovered grandstand area of the race track is the first part of the circuit to be removed, but this will not hinder this year's car race calendar.

Rio de Janeiro Municipal Government will be responsible for the construction of the Olympic Park, funded by federal money, however, the Aquatic Park, Tennis Centre, and the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) are among the few that are not reflected in the PPP's and the Federal Government's scope.

Among the PPP agreement, the area will gain a 400-room hotel, the Main Media Centres and three pavilions, which will host the future Training Olympic centre (COT) for high performing athletes.

Since Aecom - who are also responsible for the London 2012 Olympic Park Masterplan - won the Rio 2016 Olympic Park Masterplan bid in August last year, there has been much consideration for environmental preservation.

The importance of sustainable construction has been made a priority, introducing the ethos that 100 per cent of waste will be reused.

The project has to take into consideration the impact that the construction process will have on a local lagoon's wildlife, its accessibility, its recovery and the use of innovative sustainable construction technology.

After the Games, Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park will set a precedent for the city in terms of urban planning and sustainability, it is claimed.

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