lapas arches are historically important, as an engineering feat, and culturally important in the present as a symbol of rio's bohemian life - especially on weekends, when the nightlife centers around the arches, the local stands, and the many bars and clubs in the district. 

representing a pinnacle of  colonial engineering, the structure was named of 'arcos da lapa' (lapa's arches) due to the neighborhood where it is located - the river carioca, however, was not blessed with and equally glamorous future, as the rapid urban development have almost completely covered it, making it an out-of-sight stream.