Where It's Located
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple is located at Avenida das Américas, 9005, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The temple occupies a 9.44-acre (3.8-hectare) property in the city's West Zone. It sits next to a nature reserve in Barra da Tijuca, one of Rio's modern coastal neighborhoods.
The temple shares its grounds with a meetinghouse. The two buildings are connected by a common plaza featuring a water feature, benches, trees, and landscaped gardens. The location provides an interesting combination of urban development, tropical vegetation, and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
Getting There
Travelers from the United States will generally fly into Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport (GIG). From the airport, Barra da Tijuca is located across the city and can be reached by road.
The temple is in a modern part of Rio that hosted many venues during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Barra da Tijuca is known for its beaches, high-rise developments, restaurants, shopping, and extensive coastal scenery.
For travelers planning a temple trip, the location makes it easy to combine a visit to the temple with some of Rio de Janeiro's most famous attractions.
A Bit of History
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson on April 6, 2013, during the opening session of the April 2013 General Conference. It became the eighth temple built in Brazil and the first temple in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Before the temple was built, many Latter-day Saints in the Rio de Janeiro area traveled approximately 310 miles (500 kilometers) to the Campinas Brazil Temple to participate in temple ordinances. The new temple would dramatically reduce that journey for members throughout the Rio de Janeiro region.
The temple's announcement was part of a period of significant temple growth in Brazil, a country with a large and geographically dispersed Latter-day Saint population.
Groundbreaking and Construction
Plans for the temple were submitted to local authorities in late 2015, and various approvals followed. Because the temple site is near an environmentally sensitive area, an environmental license was required before construction could begin. That license was issued in November 2016.
Groundbreaking and site-dedication services were held on March 4, 2017, with Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, then president of the Brazil Area, presiding. The groundbreaking took place on the same day as the groundbreaking for the Arequipa Peru Temple.
Before construction began, local youth participated in service projects to help clear and prepare the property.
Open House and Dedication
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple was completed in early 2020, but its planned opening was dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The original public open house was scheduled for April and May 2020, with the dedication planned for May 17. Those events were postponed as government restrictions were implemented to limit large public gatherings. The completed temple then sat unused for roughly two years while the Church waited for conditions that would allow the public opening to proceed.
The public finally received an opportunity to tour the temple during a 35-day open house from March 26 through April 30, 2022.
The temple was dedicated on May 8, 2022, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in three dedicatory sessions. It became the 171st dedicated temple in operation in the Church at the time.
Design and Architecture
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple contains approximately 29,966 square feet (2,784 square meters) of floor space and rises approximately 155 feet 5 inches (47.4 meters). Its exterior is clad in Branco Ceará granite, a particularly white and uniform granite quarried in northeastern Brazil.
One of the temple's most distinctive characteristics is its Art Deco-inspired architecture. Rio de Janeiro is renowned for its Art Deco architecture, and the temple's design was created to complement the architectural character of Barra da Tijuca.
The temple has a single attached end spire topped by a gilded statue of the angel Moroni. The spire rises more than 140 feet above the ground and provides the temple with a striking presence against the surrounding landscape.
Carved stone surrounding the windows incorporates Art Deco arch motifs. These details give the exterior a clean, symmetrical appearance while connecting the temple to the architectural traditions of its city.
Brazilian Materials and Tropical Landscaping
The temple's design makes extensive use of Brazilian materials.
In addition to the Branco Ceará granite used on the exterior, the surrounding walkways use Brazilian granite pavers, while native Brazilian Jequitibá hardwood appears throughout the interior. Designers intentionally selected locally available materials whenever possible.
The landscaping is equally connected to the local environment. The temple grounds contain 129 palm trees, 33 flowering trees, and 18 shade trees, along with numerous shrubs, vines, flowering perennials, and ground covers. The plant selections were chosen to thrive in Rio's climate while creating a peaceful temple setting.
A granite fountain between the temple and meetinghouse uses the same Branco Ceará stone found elsewhere on the property.
Inside the Temple
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple contains two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and one baptistry.
The interior design continues the Art Deco influence found on the exterior. Art Deco chandeliers and pendant lights, stylized railings, carved details, and clean geometric lines create a contemporary interpretation of the architectural style.
The temple's art glass is particularly distinctive. Because of Rio's proximity to the ocean, designers selected shades of blue, aqua, purple, and soft gold. The geometric patterns were inspired by Art Deco fountain motifs.
The ocean-inspired blue carpet and other interior details continue the connection between the temple and its coastal setting.
The Temple's Place in Brazil
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple serves Latter-day Saints from 17 stakes and one district headquartered primarily in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
Its construction represented an important improvement in temple accessibility for members throughout southeastern Brazil. Instead of making the long journey to Campinas, members in the Rio area could eventually attend a temple much closer to home.
Brazil's temple network has continued expanding since the Rio temple was announced. The country now has numerous operating temples, with additional temples under construction and announced in cities throughout the country.
Visiting Rio de Janeiro
A visit to the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple can easily be combined with a trip through one of the world's most recognizable cities.
Rio is famous for its dramatic combination of mountains, beaches, forests, and dense urban development. Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Tijuca National Park are among the city's best-known attractions.
The temple's location in Barra da Tijuca offers a somewhat different experience from Rio's historic central neighborhoods. Barra is modern, coastal, and surrounded by nature reserves and beaches.
The temple itself is a sacred house of the Lord, so regular access to the interior is reserved for those who meet the requirements for temple worship. However, the temple's exterior and grounds provide an impressive sight for visitors.
There is an arrival center on the property, but no public visitors' center or patron housing. A distribution center is also located on the site.
Final Thoughts
The Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple is one of the most visually distinctive temples in Brazil. Its combination of Art Deco architecture, Brazilian granite, tropical landscaping, ocean-inspired art glass, and a dramatic coastal setting makes it particularly memorable.
Its history is equally significant. As the first temple in the state of Rio de Janeiro, it brought temple worship much closer to a large population of Latter-day Saints who had previously traveled approximately 310 miles to reach the Campinas Brazil Temple.
The temple's journey to dedication was also unusual. Although construction was completed before the pandemic, its public open house and dedication had to be postponed for roughly two years. When the doors finally opened in 2022, thousands of people were able to tour the building before its dedication.
Today, the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple stands as both a spiritual landmark for Latter-day Saints and a beautiful architectural addition to one of Brazil's most famous cities.
For Latter-day Saint travelers from the United States, a trip to Rio offers the opportunity to combine temple worship with world-famous beaches, mountains, Brazilian culture, and the spectacular scenery of Rio de Janeiro.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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