Event: the games after

Facing the sea, Rio stretches for almost 80 km, with the ultra-famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema being just a tiny dot on this long postcard. The prospect of the 2016 Olympic Games has changed almost nothing in these elegant, touristy neighbourhoods, apart from a few extra policemen lining the beaches in shorts. Sometimes in bullet-proof waistcoats too...

Because the Games are taking place much further away from the legendary zona sul. Firstly, in the historic centre, where Rio was born 450 years ago. Faded and rundown, this district is being revitalised with green spaces and cultural venues. The port area of Porto Maravilha in particular, a no-man's-land that has long been abandoned, is undergoing a profound revitalisation. The Olympic Games may have brought the project to fruition, but the idea had been gaining ground for several years, supported by a large number of private funds. In 2013, the Rio Art Museum (MAR) opened its doors, followed in December 2015 by the astonishing Museu do Amanhãthe "the museum of tomorrow"designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. On the seafront, this futuristic building uses water and light to operate autonomously. Further on, in a blatant stylistic unity, the old docks and the Valongo hanging gardens invite you to take a stroll.

ECOLOGICAL RE-URBANISATION

"This project has already given back to the city five million square metres that were previously hidden by a motorway slip road."explains Joaquim Monteirodirector of Municipal Olympic Company. In all, four tunnels were bored to bury roads and motorways, giving rise to the "re-urbanisation"The project has involved the construction of 70 km of streets and 650,000 m² of pavements, as well as the creation of 700 km of infrastructure networks, including 17 km of cycle paths. Within the district itself, 15,000 trees have been freshly planted and a tramway system designed by Alstom is due to start linking the port area to the historic centre between now and the Olympic Games, with six lines and 32 stations covering 28 kilometres. All connected to metro, bus and ferry lines, as well as to theinternational airport nearby.

Rio Turbine also provides a link between Porto Maravilha and Barra da Tijucathe main Olympic site in the far west of the city, some forty kilometres from its historic centre. These two new centres of activity - sporting, cultural, economic - will soon be linked by a line of metro which is due to be inaugurated just before the Olympic Games. Already, a new bus system has been introduced to serve the city's two airports, the Antonio Carlos Jobim international hub and the domestic platform Santos Dumont.

an intense transformation in terms of infrastructure, environment and services

It's a first ecological and urban victory, since Rio - too often forgotten in favour of samba, beaches and caipirinha - is almost as congested as its neighbour Sao Paulo. "Since it was chosen in 2009 to host the 2016 Olympic GamesThe city is undergoing an intense transformation in terms of infrastructure, the environment and services."continues Joaquim Monteiro.

Rio is no exception to the rule that, for most host cities, the event is first and foremost a pretext for a facelift. "The increase in transport capacity will exceed 60 % in 2017"continues the director of the Municipal Olympic Company. The opening of the Transoeste in 2012 has halved the journey time between the Santa Cruz and Barra suburbs. The same applies to the Transcarioca which has provided an express link between the international airport and the rest of the city since 2014. Eventually, four bus lines will play a key role in the city's transport system. environmental role This is an important factor, as the fast, comfortable trains are gradually encouraging users to leave their cars behind.

On the western edge of Rio, surrounded by lagoons and hills, Barra will offer its idyllic setting to the major competitions of the next Olympiad. So, over the last few months new hotels residential buildings and shopping centres. The most definite post-Olympic vocation of this district, where a good number of major companies are already based, is to be the Olympic and Paralympic Games. oil companies will certainly be that of business tourism. This is a logical move for a neighbourhood that has been home to the main convention centre of the city, the Riocentro.

Its renovation and expansion is currently being orchestrated by the French company GL Eventswhich holds the concession. After the summer of 2016, the Riocentro is set to play a key role in sustain the new business function of the Barra da Tijuca. The town council's ambition is toEstablishing Rio as Latin America's leading MICE centreWith a sublime location between the sea and the mountains, a high-performance infrastructure and vast open spaces...

The figures are already looking promising. Business tourism activities are expected to generate more than 92 million US dollars between 2016 and 2018. As for the Olympic site, it will be transformed into a leisure area. Some of the buildings will be kept as they are, while others will be dismantled, transported and turned into schools in an ecologically sound manner. Finally, some areas, such as the Athletes' Park and the X-Park, will be used to accommodate walkers and other major events. The sporting legacy that will benefit Barra the most is the Olympic training centre. After the summer, part of its 40,000 m² will continue to be used for 12 Olympic sports. But part of it will be transformed into research laboratories in the fields of nutrition, physiotherapy and sports and clinical medicine. From sport to business, it's just a short stride.