Overview
- Planned for the Cidade Nova district, the complex is positioned as a cultural anchor that acknowledges Praça Onze’s legacy, its location beside Oscar Niemeyer’s Sambódromo, and a new pedestrian link to the Zumbi dos Palmares monument.
- Commissioned by Rio de Janeiro City Hall, the design was presented to local residents on November 20, Brazil’s National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, with no construction schedule disclosed.
- A cylindrical “tree of knowledge” forms the project’s core, drawing on species from the Tijuca Forest and the communal role of trees in Gando, Burkina Faso.
- Three levels organize reading rooms, stacks, workshops, exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and a café in a progression from quiet study to active gathering, supported by terraces, courtyards, and a canopied amphitheater.
- Climate-responsive measures include a perforated facade for sun control, passive ventilation assisted by the central tower, and rooftop gardens to aid cooling.