Boxing and sitting volleyball venue, Pavilion 6 at Riocentro has been delivered

Picture: Carol Delmazo/brasil2016.gov.br

This Wednesday (11.05), the venue for Olympic boxing and sitting volleyball at the Paralympics was delivered to the Rio 2016 Organising Committee. The venue is at the Riocentro conventions centre in Rio de Janeiro's west zone. Pavilion 6 measures 7.5 thousand square metres and at Games time, it will offer nine thousand seats on temporary grandstands.

The venue has a 15 metre high ceiling and the open area does not have any pillars, as the support structures are on the outside. The air conditioning pipes were made out of light materials, so they may be put up on the ceiling and around the structure, which was supposed to be temporary, supplying for the Rio 2016 Games only.

Delivery of Riocentro's Pavilion 6. Photo: Rio City Hall

"City Hall first secured private resources, then, they aimed for a permanent legacy for the city. So, we made a deal with GL Events, company that holds the concession contract for Riocentro and Arena Rio (Olympic Park). City Hall renewed Arena Rio's concession contract, which allowed GL Events to pay for the construction costs of this structure (Pavilion 6)", explained Mayor Eduardo Paes.

After the Games, the venue will be turned into a permanent amphitheatre with 5500 seats, able of reaching 10 thousand places. "This will allow for several events to be attracted, because the city lacked a big auditorium. Now, this complex (Riocentro) is able to host international events for 20 to 25 thousand people, without the need for building works, as seen in the past. And it is a legacy that generates revenues for the city. It's not an immediate market, it will not come in 2017, but will happen throughout the years, starting from this job", said GL Events CEO in Brazil Arthur Repsold.

Delivery of Riocentro's Pavilion 6. Picture: Carol Delmazo/ brasil2016.gov.br

The concession contract for Riocentro started in 2006 and is valid for 50 years. In addition to Pavilion 6, the other three venues at the conventions centre will host competitions at the Rio 2016 Games: Pavilion 2 will host the weight lifting (Olympic) and power lifting (Paralympic); Pavilion 3 will host the Olympic and Paralympic table tennis; and Pavilion 4 will be the stage of badminton.

Pavilion 6's construction and adaptation works done in the other three pavilions – like improvements to the fire prevention system, as well acoustics, water and sewage – were paid for by GL Events. The total value reaches around R$ 50 million. The City Hall's matching action was to extend the concession contract for Arena Rio for thirty years, gymnastics competition venue at the Olympics.

Picture: GL Events

Carol Delmazo - brasil2016.gov.br