Aecom fends off 60 rivals for Rio role

Aecom has revealed it fended off bids from 59 rivals in 18 countries in its successful bid to masterplan the Rio 2016 Olympic Park.

The consultant triumphed in Brazil’s first international architecture competition to design the park, which will host 15 Olympic and 11 Paralympic events.

A team featuring many of the Davis Langdon, an Aecom company, personnel behind the London 2012 Olympic masterplan will work with partners Wilkinson Eyre, Brazil-based DG Architecure, Pujol Barcelona Architects, IMG Sports and Expedition on the project.

Aecom also announced it has launched a worldwide sports group to target future landmark sporting events – the firm is understood to be currently scoping work on the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Peter Flint, Aecom’s global head of the sports group, said: “Anyone planning a sporting project or event, mega, large or small, can call on our teams and our unique collaborative way of working from the start to finish of a project.”

UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg hailed Aecom’s Rio 2016 win: “This is great news for AECOM UK and is another example of the fast-expanding business links between the UK and Brazil.”

The Olympic venues will be constructed on a 120 hectare plot of land in the Barra de Tijuca district, southwest of Rio.