World Cup: Manaus will be a host city

05 Jan, 2014

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By Wellington Medeiros
 
One of Manaus ’ most extraordinary attractions is its very location: situated between the Rivers Negro and Solimões , which run onto the Amazon River . Since it was inhabited in 1669, Manaus has constantly evolved and it is now the capital of the Amazonas state and the metropol of Amazonia. Currently, it is the 12 ^th most populous city in Brazil, with just over two million inhabitants. It transformed itself into an economic centre during the 20 ^th century, after the creation of the Free Economic Zone.

Manaus’ equatorial climate is another standout feature. It has an average yearly temperature of 28oC, 80% humidity and two well defined seasons: the rainy season (December to May) and the so-called dry season, between June and November, when the rain is less intense and the temperature can rise to 40oC.
The combination of impressive natural beauty, local traditions and a growing metropol has given Manaus a unique atmosphere, thanks as well to its diverse places and spaces, such as; Teatro Amazonas (The Amazon Theatre), a concert hall that hosts the annual Amazonas’ Opera Festival and the Boi Manaus; a celebration that commemorates the city’s founding and is danced to the rhythm of the traditional Boi-Bumba sound.

The Stadium

 
The Vivaldo Lima Stadium, also known as Vivaldão (Big Vivaldo), was the Amazon’s most important football stadium. It is where the state’s decisive games have been played since its inauguration on 5 April 1970. That year, the Brazilian team did a stop over in the city a few days before heading to Mexico to play in the Fifa World Cup.

For the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil, Vivaldão, will become one of the nicest stadiums in Brazil: the Arena Amazonia, with a capacity for 42,618 fans. The Arena Amazonia, formally Vivaldão, will not be a traditional Brazilian football stadium. It will certainly attract a huge number of fans thanks to its stunning location, in the heart of the world’s biggest rainforest.

Inspired by the Amazon, the stadium project will see the construction of a metallic structure similar to the straw baskets, typical of the region and these will protect the external part of the seating. It will be built following sustainability laws, which will leave the region an important legacy and preserve the diversity of the Amazon rainforest.

Rain water, for example, will be stored so that it can be later used in the stadium’s bathrooms or for watering the turf. It will use solar lighting, which is abundant in this part of the country, to generate clean and renewable energy. Finally, some of the walls will be vegetal. This will reduce the amount of energy wasted and, above all it will help control the temperature inside the stadium.

The Amazon Arena will also have: restaurants, underground parking and access by bus and monorail. It will host four matches in the first phase of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and afterwards it will be a great tourist attraction for shows and events.

Challenges and opinions
 
In terms of urban mobility, Manaus faces a lot of serious problems. The Vivaldão stadium’s reform will cost over 605 million Brazilian Reis and matches in Manaus are not played at the traditional and most watched times for national games. Therefore it will not be sustainable as a football stadium after the World Cup. Local politicians claim they will use the space to promote all types of events after the World Cup, like shows for international and national celebrities and friendly matches. However, the North of Brazil is one of the most corrupt regions in the country and we all know that “worse is better” rings true of the region’s political mentality. It’s place where bridges are built from nowhere to nowhere and cost millions. Despite the fact Manaus is not a poor capital in comparison to other Brazilian capitals, the cost of the pharaonic work that is Arena Amazonia, does not justify itself as a good investment for the people.