El Portal, El Yunque Visitor?s Center, Rio Grande, Brazil Building Development, Brazilian Architecture Images
El Yunque Visitor?s Center in Rio Grande
23 Jan 2022
Architecture and Landscape: Marvel
Location: Rio Grande, Brasil

El Portal, Rio Grande
El Yunque Visitor?s Center El Portal located in the municipality of Río Grande is set to reopen to the public this month, after recently completing a $18.1 million restoration and redesign by multidisciplinary and landscape architecture, urban planning and interior design firm, Marvel and Interlink Construction. Commissioned by the USDA Forest Service, the project is part of the agency?s focus on strengthening the recreation offerings of El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system.
The comprehensive design and construction project was conducted over a period of 2.5-years, beginning in the summer of 2019 and completed in December 2021. El Portal Visitors? Center had been closed since the devastating passage of Hurricane María in September 2017.

?Our challenge for this project was to envision a refreshed design, that would respect and harmonize with the beautiful natural surroundings of El Yunque, integrate environmental sustainability factors and build upon the previous structure,? stated Jonathan Marvel, principal of Marvel. ?El Portal is an integral part of one of Puerto Rico?s biggest tourist attractions and, as such, it is an iconic destination. Playing a role in assuring its ...