Wednesday, January 26, 2011

#449 Manaus Architecture

We've sailed to the middle of South America!

After traveling a thousand miles up the River Amazon, we're secured to a floating dock on the Rio Negro, a dark water tributary and transportation hub for Manaus, Brazil, a city of two million people at the end of our gangway.

We joined Karen Van Lengen to see Manaus through the lens of an architect. Thankfully, this required maps. 
Architecturally, Manaus is centered around the ornate Opera House built during a 19th-century boom when European 'rubber barons' did their best to recreate high society in the Amazon jungle.

Oh yes, the barons lived well in the jungle.


Today, city planners work to replace flood-prone housing along riverbanks with substantial homes near parks built along formerly crowded streams.


Yours in city planning in the Amazon jungle,
Kelly

2 comments:

  1. Even though I'm not an opera fan, I have to ask: what's playing at the Opera House?

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  2. We saw the local symphony practice there and others attended a heavy metal concert in the building. I understand the Brazilian govt. has invested heavily in luring European musicians to Manaus to be part of the scene and the building hosts a yearly opera festival.

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