LOCATION: Balcarce 542, Rosario, Argentina.

 

PROJECT

Matías Imbern

Marcelo Mirani

 

TEAM

Francisco Valdez [Team Leader]

Lucía Campagnaro [Project Coordinator]

Fernando Imbern / Julian Del Bianco [Construction Coordinators]

María Giuliano [Project Team]

Franco Montico / Ezequiel Leoni [Planning]

Eugenia Mirande [Logistics]

Agustin Ramonda [Preliminary Project]

Addis Magali Hoffmann [Graphics / Images]

Estudio BS ARQ [Images]

 

ADVISORS

Civil Engineer Gustavo Bordachar

 

YEAR 2022

 

DESCRIPTIVE MEMO:

The project is located in the Central Area of the city of Rosario, just meters from Bv. Oroño, one of the city's most important corridors. The heritage viability proposal contemplates, on a lot of 21m frontage and 58.76m depth (1234m2 total surface) with indirect affectation (3b - Environment Protection, being the end of the section), carrying out a project following the regulations of a special regime for lots larger than 1000m2, in accordance with previous cases but adapting the base to the building morphology of its surroundings.

In contact with the north party wall, up to the center of the lot, the project takes the height of the heritage building (10m). A series of courtyards are planned along this party wall, mirroring the silhouette of the existing neighboring courtyards, to create a dialogue that ensures the entry of light and ventilation, improving the current condition of the heritage building. Towards the south, the building reaches greater height (28m), equaling and lining the party wall of the existing building, also replicating an existing central courtyard. Separating these two blocks facing the front creates a multiple-height void that defines the entrance to the building, emphasizing this difference and giving rise to the appearance of the 54m tower, which is set back 7.50m from the front and 6m from each side to the center of the block.

These points determined by the heritage viability agreement defined a containment box respecting the maximum heights and proposed setbacks. Over the center of the block, respecting the maximum height of 6m, it is proposed to evolve the block center with a series of individual houses in contact with the ground, arranged around a central courtyard of 9x9, forming a common-use cloister that dialogues in relation to the width of the tower.

To achieve continuity in the building mass, all contacts and articulations are worked with curved geometries, creating horizontal ribbons that emphasize the idea of a single fluid volume. Emphasizing this idea of continuity, the structure is expressed visibly on all facades, forming a concrete grid. Metal sunshades with vertical slats, along with exposed brick walls placed in vertical lock, also contribute to an image of fluidity on all sides of the volumetry. These enclosures respond to different orientations, with walls tending towards opacity on the south faces and more transparent walls with sunshades on the other facades.

The building's program, determined by its size and location, aims for typological variation and programmatic hybridization of uses, proposing interaction between people of different ages and lifestyles, responding to different family configurations. To achieve this, a balance is sought in housing typologies, including: 2 and 3-bedroom houses with exclusive patios and terraces, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments, and exclusive 4-bedroom floors. Similarly, enhancing the diversity of uses, the ground floor has, facing the street, a commercial space, and on the first 3 floors, there are 13 offices of different sizes and spatial characteristics.

At the entrance to the building, an open access corridor is proposed, crossing the building in the middle, articulating the public sidewalk with private uses. Throughout this route, different entrances are incorporated: access to the commercial space, the entrance hall to the high-rise apartments, the entrance hall to the offices, the entrances to the ground floor offices, ending in a courtyard where the entrances to the houses on the ground floor are located. In this journey, there are also entrances to the 2 basement parking levels, which can accommodate 58 cars.

The building has two common-use areas, which respond to different situations and uses: On the one hand, the third floor serves as a buffer between offices and apartments, presenting a sector focused on various social, sports, and recreational activities, with two barbecue areas, games, a coworking space, and a gym. On the other hand, another common-use area is located on the terrace of the tower, at 54m in height, featuring an infinity pool and a sun deck that opens up panoramically with views of the entire city.

Finally, reinforcing the continuity and fluidity of the building mass, a light strip surrounds the tower 360 degrees while a beam propagates vertically in the city's skyline, stimulating the desire for infinite vertical growth.