praia 02.09.10

city form: public space

 
The beaches in Rio are famous and a dominant feature of the urban fabric, giving the city a decidedly laid-back atmosphere. Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon....names that evoke a relaxed lifestyle of sun, cariocas, and tropical beauty. While the sand and sea attract sun worshippers, the promenade that runs along the beach is more multi-functional—street vendors, areas of seating, and the artistic pavement stylings of Roberto Burle Marx enliven the sidewalk. As landscape architect for a number of buildings in Rio, Burle Marx contributed extensively to the city’s identity, but his preference was to design public parks, which he felt ‘return to the people the green that the city stole from them.’ Parque do Flamengo is the city’s central park.http://www.sefa.es.gov.br/painel/bmarx01.htmhttp://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=924&type_id=0shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1