The Aterro do Flamengo is a legitimate example of urban reconfiguration, as it opened the city to the new while consolidating customs, habits, and values. It also brought more life to the Museu de Arte Moderna - MAM Rio, which had until then been isolated in the landscape. The former Aterrado Glória-Flamengo restored the city's history and traditions, placing its bay back on the horizon of Rio's residents.
It was a different Rio, capital of the brand-new state of Guanabara, the Belacap, and preparations were underway for the great celebration of the city's foundation quadricentennial. Maria Carlota (Lotta) Macedo Soares and Carmen Portinho stood out in the conception and direction of the project, presenting the new Carioca urbanism. They were surrounded by a group of figures who built what several newspapers called the "nest of geniuses," such as Burle Marx. The idea was to break away from the forms of traditional parks. The team was multidisciplinary and included the educator Ethel Bauzer Medeiros, who conceived leisure areas for children designed by Affonso Reidy. The park had everything involving the city's traditions, from soccer fields to the Glória marina, from theaters and small museums to large spaces for sports circulation.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a meeting in an office. On the left side, we see two people sitting in chairs, looking at a large drawing sheet on the table. In front of them is a woman with short hair, wearing a dark dress. Beside her is another person with longer hair, also sitting in a chair. In the center of the image, there is a person with gray hair, sitting in a chair, looking at the drawing sheet. On the right, we see another person with short hair, also sitting in a chair. Behind the participants, there is a wall with several informational posters hanging on it.Lotta Macedo Soares (in the center of the table) with Magu Leão, Burle Marx and Jorge Moreira. Photo by Alli [CPDOC JB RJ] - Vitruvius website
The idea for the park began to take shape in 1929, when Reidy, then an intern under Alfred Agache, observed the succession of proposals being made for the redesign of the city starting from the Esplanada do Castelo area, into which, after the hill was leveled, the city expanded. Add to that the landfills that had already been made for the construction of Avenida Beira-mar, of Praça Paris, for the occupation of the area by the Centennial Exhibition celebrating Independence, and for the construction of the avenue linking Flamengo to Botafogo.
In 1948, Reidy took over the direction of the Urban Planning Department of the Federal District City Hall and, for the first time, mentioned the idea of building a park on the Glória-Flamengo landfill, inspired by Le Corbusier's Radiant City Project, a city immersed in gardens and greenery.
In 1953, he developed the design for the MAM on the landfill and revisited the idea of the park as the museum's surroundings. In 1961, the governor of the state of Guanabara created the Working Group to develop the park's design, and the group's president, Lotta Macedo Soares, invited Reidy to draw up the project. Lotta also envisioned, on the landfill, a park that would organize the area both aesthetically and in terms of mobility, creating a connection between the city's various zones and integrating Santos Dumont Airport, the MAM, and the Monument to the Pracinhas. Lotta and Reidy's concept flourished, took shape, and became the great novelty of the 1960s.
The Working Group created by Lacerda was made up of Affonso Reidy, Jorge Machado Moreira (urban and landscape design projects), Berta Leitchic (engineering), Ethel Bauzer Medeiros (recreation and leisure), Carlos Werneck de Carvalho, Sérgio Bernardes, and Hélio Mamede (responsible for project development). Also lending support to the group were names and entities such as Luiz Emygdio de Mello Filho, director of Parks and Gardens, Burle Marx e Arquitetos Associados, landscape design, the Laboratório de Estudos Marinhos de Lisboa, hydraulic studies, and lighting designer Richard Kelly, lighting.
Image description: This is a black and white illustration, possibly a sketch or drawing, depicting an architectural project. The image shows a panoramic view of an urban area, with modern, architecturally distinctive buildings in the background. On the left side, there is a curved structure that appears to be an arch or a bridge. In the center, there is a large open space, possibly a park or square, with trees arranged along the pathways. On the right, there are more buildings and a row of trees. In the center of the image, there is a rectangular structure with distinctive architectural elements.Drawing by Burle Marx for Parque do Flamengo. Website RW Paisagismo
Handed over to the city as Parque IV Centenário, in 1981 it was renamed Parque Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, following a decree signed by mayor Julio Coutinho. Starting in 1988, the area between the Monumento aos Pracinhas and the end of the gardens at Praia de Botafogo was named Parque Carlos Lacerda; the area between Aeroporto Santos Dumont and the monument remained Parque Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes. Today, however, the park and the surrounding area are known simply as Aterro do Flamengo.
Image description: This is a nighttime photograph of Aterro do Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro. On the left side, we see green areas with soft lighting, while on the right, there is a beach lit by lamps. In the background, the city is illuminated with lights from tall buildings. The skyline is made up of several skyscrapers, some with special lighting. The seawater reflects the city lights, creating a shimmering effect.Aterro do Flamengo in 2014, seen from Morro da Urca. Photographer not identified - Wikimedia Commons
