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Rio de Janeiro City Hall begins the second phase of the revitalization of Flamengo Park.
Published on 23/11/2025 - 16:53 | Updated on 23/11/2025 - 17:32
Revitalization project design - Photo: Rafael Catarcione / Rio City Hall The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, and the deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, announced this Sunday (November 23rd) the beginning of the second phase of the revitalization of the Burle Marx Waterfront, in Flamengo Park, as part of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the site, celebrated in October of this year. With an investment of R$ 7,8 million, the project includes 20,000 square meters of landscaping, paving, and new lighting in an area previously occupied by a gas station, car rental company, and parking lot, transforming it into another place for contemplation and strolling for Rio residents and tourists.
– We are celebrating 60 years of this incredible leisure space, with its beautiful architecture and urban planning, which is Flamengo Park. This project complements the revitalization carried out around the MAM (Museum of Modern Art), near Santos Dumont Airport. It is a landscape design conceived in homage to Roberto Burle Marx, a Brazilian landscape architect with international renown. The works will begin immediately, with completion expected in one year, so that we can deliver it to the public – stated Mayor Eduardo Paes.
The executive project, designed by the Burle Marx office, will bring landscaping to an area of 20 square meters, transforming open areas into leisure and event spaces. In addition, there will be a new pick-up and drop-off area for taxis and ride-sharing vehicles heading to the Museum of Modern Art, the Vivo Rio concert hall, and the Burle Marx waterfront.
– We are witnessing the second phase of a project whose initial stage was completed for the G20. Since its completion, the MAM (Museum of Modern Art), Marina da Glória, and Flamengo Park itself have been venues for events of international importance, such as BRICS and the COP30 Mayors' Meeting. This versatility establishes it as a space of paramount importance for the city, capable of hosting a wide range of diplomatic, cultural, and artistic events – said the Municipal Secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha.
The Municipal Department of Conservation and Public Services will carry out the works, which include more than six thousand square meters of asphalt, demolition of nine thousand square meters of parking lot, installation of four thousand meters of lighting infrastructure, implementation of a drainage network, and installation of 18 benches.
– Flamengo Park celebrated its 60th anniversary in October. Therefore, the revitalization of the space includes an extension to the airport. As the project is completed and takes on a new configuration, it will attract visitors to Rio de Janeiro, and the residents themselves will begin to recognize Flamengo Park as a significant point of visitation, tourism, and leisure. The initiative not only respects the heritage but also reintegrates the people of Rio into a space that is rightfully theirs, a place of landscaping, visitation, leisure, and tourism, providing a new image for Rio – highlighted Patrícia Regina Correa Wanzeller, superintendent of the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) in Rio de Janeiro.
Revitalization of the Burle Marx Waterfront, a legacy of the G20.
In preparation for the G20 Summit in 2024, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall renovated the entire interior and exterior of the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), an icon of Brazilian architecture. With an investment of R$ 32 million, the works included renovations to the museum's interior and revitalization of the surrounding area, with the restoration of the garden designed by Burle Marx, including the restoration of the Portuguese paving stones and sidewalks, new signage, camera monitoring connected to the Rio Operations Center (COR), and the modernization of more than 350 LED lights/projectors and 49 lampposts in the exterior areas. The closure of Rua Jardel Jércolis, in front of the museum entrance, transformed the street into a boulevard exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting Santos Dumont Airport, Flamengo Park, MAM, and Vivo Rio, integrating the museum into the city. Among the interventions, Phase I of the Burle Marx Waterfront Revitalization was developed, surrounding Vivo Rio.
– This project has the potential to further expand the possibilities for nature, leisure, and culture to meet. It's a great opportunity for us to expand our meeting spaces with tourists, with our visitors to the MAM, and also with the people of Rio. I'm sure it will be a success – said Yole Mendonça, director of the MAM in Rio.
The complete restoration of the landscaping around the museum restored the gardens according to Roberto Burle Marx's original design. The firm perpetuates the artist's legacy by overseeing the interventions, assisting in the identification and recovery of original elements. A mapping of plant species, along with a technical analysis, guided the replanting and pruning of plants, prioritizing the preservation of the original 50s design.
– We are going to reclaim an area that was lost in the city. It's a great gain for the population and for tourists in terms of leisure and culture. Flamengo Park is an icon of Rio de Janeiro and has always had a space reserved, with affection, by Burle Marx – highlighted Júlio Ono, one of the directors of the Burle Marx Office.
A resident of Flamengo, lawyer Marcelo Amorim, 34, takes daily walks in the park. He approved of the project idea:
– This is yet another leisure area emerging. Revitalizing this region with full integration to various cultural facilities and the airport will be crucial.
Flamengo Park was inaugurated in 1965 and became one of the most successful urban developments in Rio de Janeiro's history. The park was conceived by Carlota de Macedo Soares, with architect Affonso Eduardo Reidy, and great emphasis on the landscape design by Roberto Burle Marx (1909 – 1994).
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