This scheme is essentially one large tensile musical instrument. It is based in the Complexo do Alemao, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
By using the favelas’ abandoned cable car infrastructure, this project aims to bring a series of 11 schools that vary in form, taught subjects and target age group. The scheme is intended to be self-initiated by the favela residents, as most of the projects that occur in this area tend to be.
The facade uses a series of carefully measured Eucalyptus bars that are tensioned through a series of cables for material efficiency, to shade the interiors and to create a playful architecture of sounds.
Each tone bar’s form is parametrically found through an algorithm that determines the precise length, depth and width according to the desired musical note. They are each cut to certain proportions as to become musical when struck, just like a Marimba instrument.
As the height of the proposal increases, the musical notes decrease in musical scales, becoming larger and deeper in sound until becoming shingles.
