COUNTRY FOCUS

he UK and Brazil are two countries with much in common at the moment. Both are preparing to host the Olympic Games (Rio in 2016) and in Brazil there is the added interest of the FIFA World Cup to be staged there in two years’ time. With just months to go until the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Olympic Games in London, the UK is able to share its valuable knowledge and experience with organisers in Rio. “The Brazilians are very impressed with the organisation of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Martin Whalley, head of UK Trade & Investment in São Paulo. “They are amazed by the way the UK has delivered such a huge project on time and within budget, and we are making the most of it. We show a video on how the London Olympics has been planned to interested parties. To be honest, I think it leaves them a little stunned and daunted at the prospect of how much work there is still to be done here. Any UK company that has been involved in London 2012 has a great advantage in Brazil. It really opens

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doors and some have already picked up Olympic contracts as a result.” One such company is AECOM, chosen

from 59 submissions from 18 countries to design the master plan for Rio 2016. AECOM’s designers produced the legacy master plan for London 2012 and are the only team to work on two consecutive Olympic Games. The entry for 2016 was a group effort that includes Rio- based DG Architecture, as well as the UK’s Wilkinson Eyre, Pujol Arquitectura, Expedition Engineering and IMG. The project focuses on around 300 acres of land in Barra da Tijuca, southwest of Rio. It includes three phases: the Rio Olympic Park area during the 2016 Games, a transition plan and showcasing the site in legacy mode after the event is over. “AECOM is very proud to be helping the city of Rio de Janeiro build a lasting legacy with its master plan,” comments chairman and CEO John M. Dionisio. “We are excited that our work will improve the quality of life for the city’s residents, businesses and visitors.” Other UK companies already involved in the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016

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GOOD SPORTS

With a World Cup and Olympic Games on the horizon, Brazil’s fortunes are set to soar, writes Janet Tibble