The company São Paulo Big Wheel (SPBW), classified by means of a public call, started the assembly of the largest Ferris wheel ever installed in Brazil. The “Roda São Paulo” will be housed in an area of ??4,500 square meters, in Parque Candido Portinari, next to Parque Villa-Lobos, west of the capital. Scheduled to open by June 2022, the project is part of the State Government’s actions to revitalize the Pinheiros River region.
“This initiative is yet another partnership between the Government and the private sector to expand the population’s leisure options and promote tourism in the capital. It is worth remembering that, according to the contract signed, there will also be social actions and tariffs so that surrounding communities can also use the space”, highlighted the Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment, Marcos Penido.
The Ferris Wheel will officially be the largest in Latin America, surpassing those installed in cities like Paris, Toronto and Chicago. According to the company responsible, the wheel has a unique design, light and supported by cables or stays specially designed to integrate into the urban landscape. There will be 42 observation cabins with capacity for up to ten people, air conditioning, monitoring by cameras, intercoms and wi-fi. The structure will also have stage lighting, designed to interact with the city.
In total, the structure will have more than a thousand tons and will require the use of the largest road crane available in Brazil. The assembly is being carried out with all safety precautions and so as not to interfere with the visitation of the park.
When completed, Roda São Paulo should generate 160 direct and indirect jobs. The enterprise also has another 200 workers in the assembly. Construction resources are private.
The place has easy access with a train line connected to the subway, buses, in addition to permanent cycle paths and leisure cycle lanes set up on Sundays and holidays. The expectation is to receive between 600 thousand and 1 million visitors a year, about 10% of the current public that frequents the parks.
To explore the service in the area, the company will pay the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Environment (SIMA) R$ 141 thousand monthly or 10% of the gross revenue (whichever is higher). The amounts will be transferred to the park administration. The agreement also provides support from SPBW in maintaining a robust program of social inclusion and environmental education for public school students, as well as beneficiaries of social programs and projects in the communities of Jaguaré.
“More than an icon of the city, Roda São Paulo will be a new engine of development, an agent of transformation, by contributing, in the context of the State Government’s project to revitalize the Pinheiros River region, with the appreciation of real estate, the emergence of enterprises, with an environmental education program for public schools, and a new relationship between residents and visitors with São Paulo. It will be a milestone in the urban and tourist development of São Paulo, which will show the city from a privileged point of view, uniting the urban landscape and the natural beauties of the Pinheiros River and the parks”, says Marcelo Mugnaini, CEO of SPBW.
The executive adds that the enterprise will have a socio-environmental education program in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) for 2030.
Also according to the project, the project will have a living area integrated with Cândido Portinari, signed by Levisky Arquitetos Estratégia Urbana. Built with sustainable materials, permeable pavements, water reuse solutions and accessibility for people with disabilities and mobility difficulties. The area will occupy only 3% of the park and will receive tree enrichment, favoring biodiversity on the banks of the Pinheiros River. Pets will also be allowed on site.
New Pinheiros River
The Novo Rio Pinheiros program aims to revitalize this important symbol of the city of São Paulo through the action of various public bodies in partnership with society. The goal by the end of 2022 is to reduce the sewage discharged into its tributaries, improve water quality and fully integrate it into the city.
As it is an urban river, the water will not be potable, however, with the depollution project completed, there will be an improvement in the existing odor, shelter for aquatic life and, mainly, the return of the population to its banks with the environmental and landscape recovery of the surroundings.
