AECOM Secure Second Successive Olympic Contract to Design the Masterplan for Rio 2016

British building firm AECOM has won the international competition to design the masterplan for the Rio 2016 Olympic Park, picking up the $62,000 prize money. 

The London-based building design and management company was named as the winner at a special ceremony in Rio on the site of where the Olympic Park will be located, infront of a high profile delegation, which included Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman, Mayor of Rio Eduardo Paes and Brazil’s Sports Minister Orlando Silva.

There were 60 entries in the competition from firms in 18 countries, with a final decision made by a panel that consisted of seven representatives from Rio City Hall, the International Union of Architects, Brazil’s Architects Institute, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the Federal Government.

AECOM will be working on their second successive Olympic Park masterplan after the firm designed the masterplan for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Bill Hanway, AECOM’s managing director for the UK, said:”We are delighted and honoured to win this appointment and have the opportunity to work on Rio 2016.This is a fantastic city in a fantastic country and we know the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016 will be a tremendous success.”

The masterplan outlines how the Olympic Park area will be used, as well as where the public spaces, squares and parks will be located.

It also outlines the location of the permanent and temporary venues and the future real estate developments to be built at the site.

Detailed planning will now be carried out over the next months by AECOM in conjunction with the parties involved in the park construction.

“This is yet another step taken towards building the Rio 2016 Games legacy,” said Nuzman.

“The Olympic Park legacy for Brazilian sports will be a training centre modelled after the successful experiences of the world’s greatest sporting powers.”

Design projects for each one of the temporary and permanent sporting venues to be built in the Park will be chosen through competitions while there will be a separate competition to design the new golf course to be built in the city for the Olympic Games when the sport make its debut at the event.