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Manaus: A New Contract
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Manaus: a New Contract Between City, River, and Forest examines the urban and territorial transformation of the Mindu River, a small inner city stream that connects the Amazon and Black Rivers with the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke. Through the careful examination of five spatial conditions —the tower, the island, the urban edge, the anchor, and the bridge— the project proposes an urban imaginary that transforms the Mindu and advocates for a co-existence of ecological conservation and urban development, tempering the harsh divide between city and forest in the Amazonian region.

The Amazon River Basin, when seen in perspective from the Atlantic Ocean, reveals an intricate relationship with the Andes Mountains. Melting snow from the highest altitudes feeds a myriad of rivers that flood the Amazon basin, making these two geographies inseparable. Urbanization in the region needs to account for the complexity of this layered ecology that links mountain peaks to river basin.

The city of Manaus, epicenter of the rubber boom in the 19th century always had a contested relationship between city and river. While an aerial photograph shows a harsh divide between water and land, a carefully constructed topographic drawing shows a much more nuanced overlap between wet and dry.

An intricate number of inner-city rivers and streams have gradually been canalized and covered or made the city’s dumping grounds. A careful examination and restoration of these rivers can serve as the point of departure for a new territorial grammar that links city, river and forest.

The Mindu River is key among these as it serves as a critical spine that connects primary rivers with forest.

Layering mobility networks over the river’s figure shows the geometrical disconnects between road networks, urban blocks, and the space of the river.

The proposal begins with a careful reading of the residual land between city edges and the river’s floodplain.

These sites then accommodate an array of programs and uses –bridges, islands, towers, housing, intermodal hubs– that activate the river.

Deployed as a collection of small and intermediate scale projects, the interventions gradually transform the Mindu over time.

The inter-modal hub links the city’s main bus station with watercraft of different engine sizes, linking city and region. A floating floor and roof system make up one long and linear space that provides much needed shade.

The housing prototype defines a new urban block that establishes better adjacencies between city and river. A double roof system allows for an air chamber reducing interior temperatures. Essential in hot/humid climates.

Islands take advantage of water and soil movement along the river to bring new recreational facilities to the river. Additional programs such as freshwater collection and distribution are part of the infrastructure.

Towers combine the views offered by the prototypical rainforest observation tower with educational program and daycare. In a city as topographically flat as Manaus, the new cultural towers provides a new visual relationship between city and forest.

Bridges transform current car-centered bridges into new composite crossing points tied to recreational circuits within the Mindu River. In adjusting the scale and use of the bridges, the river becomes significantly more accessible

Resisting the traditional top-down strategies of conventional masterplan, the proposal argues for an urban vision, that is built from the gradual aggregation of individual projects.

Manaus: A New Contract Between City, River and Forest was Somatic Collaborative’s submission to the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Hashim Sarkis with the theme “How will we live together?”

Somatic
Collaborative
Manaus: A New Contract
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Facebook / Twitter

Manaus: a New Contract Between City, River, and Forest examines the urban and territorial transformation of the Mindu River, a small inner city stream that connects the Amazon and Black Rivers with the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke. Through the careful examination of five spatial conditions —the tower, the island, the urban edge, the anchor, and the bridge— the project proposes an urban imaginary that transforms the Mindu and advocates for a co-existence of ecological conservation and urban development, tempering the harsh divide between city and forest in the Amazonian region.

The Amazon River Basin, when seen in perspective from the Atlantic Ocean, reveals an intricate relationship with the Andes Mountains. Melting snow from the highest altitudes feeds a myriad of rivers that flood the Amazon basin, making these two geographies inseparable. Urbanization in the region needs to account for the complexity of this layered ecology that links mountain peaks to river basin.

The city of Manaus, epicenter of the rubber boom in the 19th century always had a contested relationship between city and river. While an aerial photograph shows a harsh divide between water and land, a carefully constructed topographic drawing shows a much more nuanced overlap between wet and dry.

An intricate number of inner-city rivers and streams have gradually been canalized and covered or made the city’s dumping grounds. A careful examination and restoration of these rivers can serve as the point of departure for a new territorial grammar that links city, river and forest.

The Mindu River is key among these as it serves as a critical spine that connects primary rivers with forest.

Layering mobility networks over the river’s figure shows the geometrical disconnects between road networks, urban blocks, and the space of the river.

The proposal begins with a careful reading of the residual land between city edges and the river’s floodplain.

These sites then accommodate an array of programs and uses –bridges, islands, towers, housing, intermodal hubs– that activate the river.

Deployed as a collection of small and intermediate scale projects, the interventions gradually transform the Mindu over time.

The inter-modal hub links the city’s main bus station with watercraft of different engine sizes, linking city and region. A floating floor and roof system make up one long and linear space that provides much needed shade.

The housing prototype defines a new urban block that establishes better adjacencies between city and river. A double roof system allows for an air chamber reducing interior temperatures. Essential in hot/humid climates.

Islands take advantage of water and soil movement along the river to bring new recreational facilities to the river. Additional programs such as freshwater collection and distribution are part of the infrastructure.

Towers combine the views offered by the prototypical rainforest observation tower with educational program and daycare. In a city as topographically flat as Manaus, the new cultural towers provides a new visual relationship between city and forest.

Bridges transform current car-centered bridges into new composite crossing points tied to recreational circuits within the Mindu River. In adjusting the scale and use of the bridges, the river becomes significantly more accessible

Resisting the traditional top-down strategies of conventional masterplan, the proposal argues for an urban vision, that is built from the gradual aggregation of individual projects.

Manaus: A New Contract Between City, River and Forest was Somatic Collaborative’s submission to the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Hashim Sarkis with the theme “How will we live together?”

Manaus: A New Contract