Vila Olimpica da Maré (Rio de Janeiro)

 campus, sports venue, leisure - to be replaced

Inaugurated in 1999, the Olympic Vila is a multi-sport, cultural and recreational facility, occupying an area of 80.000 sq. meters, with a covered gym, two large swimming pools, and several football and multi-purpose uncovered hard courts, built by the City of Rio de Janeiro. The location is within the Maré complex, which consists of 16 communities (originally independent favelas that grew and blended together) with a population of over 150.000 people, and along the main highway leading from the international airport into the city (the Red Line), some 10km from downtown Rio and the main tourist districts (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon).
The Olympic Vila currently works with over 5.000 members every week, including weekends. Daily activities include educational, cultural and sporting activities primarily to children and youth of the community, but also to adults and senior citizens. It also attends to over 200 children and youth with mental and physical disabilities. The objective is to integrate activities in an educational process that strengthens autonomy, the participation of the individuals in the resolution of community problems, ways to perceive and know the world, and the development of each individual’s specific potentials.