Construction of Sports Halls at Rio 2016 Barra Olympic Park Underway

Construction of three sports halls at the Rio 2016 Barra Olympic Park began on Monday July 1 as part of the original schedule.

The venues will host basketball, ampoule taekwondo, Olympic and Paralympic judo, wrestling, wheelchair basketball, boccia, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair rugby.

After the Games the three halls will form part of the Olympic Training Centre (OTC), aimed at elite athletes to become one of the event’s major legacy symbols.

The Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, the Velodrome and the Tennis Centre will join the three halls as a part of the OTC, which will be the first of its kind in Brazil.

Construction work at the Olympic Park began in July 2012 with the dismantling of the old race track’s structure and clearing of the site.

A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the City Government and the Rio Mais Consortium will fund construction of the halls, the Main Press Centre (MPC), the International Broadcast Centre (IBC), a hotel and the infrastructure at the Olympic Village.

The City Government will seek to obtain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the construction of the halls as well as the other permanent venues at the park.