Flooding along the riverbanks is one of the major problems for the city of Manaus, Brazil, as the levels of the Amazon River greatly vary between the dry and rainy seasons. As a solution, the project proposes to transfer the activities currently on the fragmented waterfront to a floating platform in the river. A large roof offers protection from sun and rain. The reforestation of the river edge and the creation of a retention lagoon are part of a strategy to delay flooding. 

The platform, linked to the dry land by footbridges, is used both as a harbor and market – a meeting place connecting the activities of the river with those of the city.

Until the twentieth century, housing infrastructure has been mono-functional and single-scale. As a result, large fragmented urban territories have been produced and still exist. In the twenty-first century, a new hypothesis suggests the dilution of borders between infrastructure and urban territory: generating multifunctional territorial networks that multiply by promoting the development of inclusive relations between citizens and cultural integration.

Context: The project is developed in Manaus, Brazil, where the rivers Negro and Solimoes converge in the heart of the Amazonian rainforest. Manaus is one of the most influential cities in the economy. It has traits that are common to all Latin American cities: extended, uneven, fragmented, resource inefficiency, and poor socioeconomic cohesion.

The city extends along the banks of Amazon River, and is crossed by streams meeting the riparian fringe. It cannot successfully adapt to the conditions of its topographically rough territory. In this context, the project has particularly important strategic positioning on a waterway that will be a hub of a development plant for greater trade across South America under the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA).

The project: Manaus has a tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 27°C, relatively narrow temperature fluctuations, and monthly average relative humidity of 90%. The wet season spans from December to May and the dry season from June to November. Thus, an understanding of the climate enables specific architectural strategies to be generated that foster Manaus’ development with society, economy and environment in balanced interaction. The project provides habitable conditions through passive climatic conditioning systems, which save resources in the short and long term.

The floating construction generates a microclimate by means of a large cover that shadows the material area and the absence of enclosed sides allows for free ventilation. The morphology of the cover resembles an inverted umbrella that collects rainwater. This water is later used for sanitation and maintenance purposes.

The floating construction is built with a repeated module that optimizes resources and execution time. The reforestation of the waterfront and the creation of a retention lagoon are both part of a strategy to delay flooding. Also, the park acts as an urban lung to mitigate the harmful effects of the city’s carbon dioxide emissions.