Last week CBC/Radio-Canada announced it has won Canadian media rights for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. That's still a few years away, but here's a sneak preview of one amazing piece of architecture that is expected to feature prominently at the 2016 Games: an artificial waterfall designed to generate electricity for the Olympic village, as well as offering a great view for tourists.

The 345-foot tower, designed by Swiss firm RAFAA (who created the renderings on this page), has solar panels at its base that will provide power to the city and the Games. The waterfall itself will also provide extra energy to batteries in the base by running a turbine. Water for the falls will be pumped up from the sea - but it will only be turned on for special occasions.

As well as generating power (and looking awesome), the tower houses an amphitheatre, cafeteria and observation deck, as well as a bungee-jumping station. According to Grist.org, the tower won't enable Rio 2016 to become the first zero-emissions games. But, they say, it will be "one Olympic spectacle that can, at very least, power itself".

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