Herzog & de Meuron Arena do Morro - Natal Brazil

Herzog & de Meuron’s Arena do Morro project is part of a vast social development programme entitled "A vision for Mãe Luiza" implemented in collaboration with Centro Sócio Pastoral Nossa Senhora de Conceição and the Ameropa Foundation.

The architects designed a big roof which follows the boundaries of the lot occupied by the existing gym: a cement playing field bounded by pillars and lattice girders.
The big roof is made up of corrugated aluminium panels offset to let air and light through. The structure is open at the bottom, with an undulating wall marking its inner perimeter and cylindrical volumes containing various functions. These elements are made out of specially designed concrete blocks with vertical wings that have rounded edges.
The walls and roof are designed to be translucent membranes permeable to light and to the sea breeze, and to create effects of light and shadow inside the building. At night the effect is reversed, and the building is lit up to become a giant lantern visible from the town of Mae Luiza.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Herzog & de Meuron www.herzogdemeuron.com - Project Team
Partners: Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Ascan Mergenthaler (Partner in Charge), Markus Widmer
Project Team: Tomislav Dushanov (Associate, Project Director), Mariana Vilela (Project Manager),
Melissa Shin, Diogo Rabaça Figueiredo, Kai Strehlke (Digital Technologies), Edyta Augustynowicz (Digital Technologies), Daniel Fernández Florez

Location: Rua Camaragibe, Mãe Luiza, Natal, Brazil
Images courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron, ph. Iwan Baan www.iwan.com

Design Consultant: Herzog & de Meuron, Basel, Switzerland
Executive Architect, Electrical Engineering, Landscape Design, Plumbing Engineering, Structural Engineering: PLANTAE - Planejamento Técnico em Arquitetura e Engenharia LTDA., Natal-RN, Brazil
Artwork: Flávio Freitas, Natal-RN, Brazil

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