This is a design for a prototype structure that would house around 50,000 people. The concept was taken from Buckminster Fuller's Tetrahedron City idea of a city that could be placed in a mega structure in the bay of an ocean to provide housing for an overly populated city. With the concept in mind, I decided to apply this building to Rio de Janeiro with its large population and need for more up to date housing. I researched the local traditions and history and found that the pyramid form fit with South American culture and It also a great spot to build an artificial mound juxtaposed with the Mountains in Rio.
The structure is made up of aircraft grade aluminum that has the structural capacity of around 60 ksi which is a lot stronger that steel at around 30 ksi. The sides of the pyramid buttress themselves onto one another and to further support the housing levels, a series of vierendeel trusses transfer loads to a central core that houses circulation elevations, ramps, and a oscillating floor that allows occupants to linger on the ramp to socialize. At the top of the structure, five floors rotate allowing 360 degree views of the bay.
Tourists can arrive via cable car from nearby Sugar Loaf Mountain to the top platform 714 feet above the ground level. A metro station arrives underneath the pyramid and vehicular traffic to and from the pyramid is accommodated by a large underground parking garage.
The aim of this project to create an environmentally adaptable city that would also generate billions of dollars in revenue for the city of Rio de Janeiro.