Operating in urban environments often requires us to make decisions regarding pre-existing structures. The increase in city density has directly impacted the availability of space for developing new and independent constructions, sparking debates about what stance to take toward built heritage that has become obsolete—either due to deterioration or because it no longer meets the functional needs of the contemporary population. In cases where buildings have seriously deteriorated or new projects differ greatly from the spatial possibilities an old building can offer, preserving only the façade—as an exterior envelope, almost like a superficial element—can be seen as a partial solution that allows for the preservation, in part, of the urban character of a structure if it holds some public or cultural value. The controversy arises, certainly, from the lack of relationship or connection between the transformed interior and the preserved exterior.
In an essay titled "The Ethics of Facadism," Robert Bargery writes: "Facadism, in its most common sense, involves retaining the façade of a building—usually a historic one—to construct a completely new space behind it, as the façade is considered to have some architectural or cultural value (...) Is it really necessary for a building's façade to reflect what is happening behind it? Where it is impossible to preserve a building in its entirety and the loss of at least its interior is inevitable, why not save the exterior?"
- Related article:
Facadism: When Walls Talk, and Lie
Here is a selection of 10 projects located in various regions of Latin America that stand out for preserving the façades of pre-existing buildings while using contemporary techniques and materials in their interiors. These projects showcase some of the methods that enable a connection or link between the past and the present materiality of a city:
Argentina
House Between Buildings / Guidi + Hernández Arquitectos
- Location: Rosario, Argentina
- Year: 2016
"It is inevitable to describe this project without first understanding the site's pre-existing conditions, as they strongly dictate its direction. When the city becomes dense, spaces respond by stacking and flowing vertically. A concrete structure folds in on itself, fitting into the space between buildings, resting on the façade of the pre-existing dwelling, and filling the urban void".
VDL 3532 Building / Arqtipo
- Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Year: 2018
"VDL 3532 is a project that connects a heritage-protected property—the entrance and façade—with a building containing residential units and professional studios, designed to accommodate contemporary living modes characterized by variability and indeterminacy. The proposal aims to explore the dialectic between the pre-existing and the new, between the social and the private".
The Little House of the Yellow Door / Mariclé Scalambro arq.
- Location: Cordoba, Argentina
- Year: 2018
"The project is tailored to a simple program for individual housing for a young person. The decision was made to preserve the façade and the original internal structure. However, to expand spaces and create fluid circulation, partitions that had been added in later interventions were removed. The choice of colors for the façade aims to differentiate it from the neighboring house, avoiding uniformity but without creating disharmony".
Chile
El Manzano House Refurbishment / Fantuzzi + Rodillo Arquitectos
- Location: Valparaíso, Chile
- Year: 2014
"The project involved the expansion and remodeling of a house in Valparaíso originally built in the early 20th century, located in Cerro Cárcel, within Valparaíso's UNESCO-protected historic conservation area. The proposal aimed to preserve the existing structure and attach a metal-framed volume that connects the spaces via an exterior staircase, culminating in a new level".
The Recycling of Casa Werth Hotel and Maison Italia Comercial Gallery / CO2 Arquitectos
- Location: Providencia, Chile
- Year: 2016
"The project involves the transformation of the Werth House—a corner building of republican architectural style—into a mixed-use facility. The first intervention required a complex process of restoring and recovering the interior wooden structures and the perimeter masonry wall. The initial idea was to preserve and enhance an urban and constructive typology from the past".
Ecuador
House of the Flying Beds / AL BORDE
- Location: Imbabura, Ecuador
- Year: 2017
"Built in the late 1800s, this was one of those houses that at first glance seemed to be of no use. The only salvageable feature was the earthen walls. The rehabilitation operations were minimal but strategic: the earthen walls were structurally reinforced, the walls were treated, the damaged doors and windows were replaced, and the floor was leveled with cement."
El Palomar House / FB+ estudio
- Location: Loja, Ecuador
- Year: 2019
"El Palomar is a restoration and remodeling project. The design strategies used in this restoration include: removing cladding in specific areas to expose the earthen walls, salvaging the tiles from the Old House (by removing the existing vegetation covering), allowing natural light to enter, and repurposing objects from the previous intervention".
Mexico
Xólotl House / Punto Arquitectónico
- Location: Mérida, Mexico
- Year: 2018
"The project originates from a small pre-existing house of one hundred square meters, consisting of three bays. Access to the property is positioned at the far right of the first pre-existing bay. The enveloping materiality of the house combines new plaster with the original plaster, creating a contrast with the patinas resulting from the passage of time".
Casa Vagantes / Arista Cero + Gina Góngora
- Location: Mérida, Mexico
- Year: 2020
"This intervention involves working on an existing building to accommodate travelers visiting Mérida, Yucatán. The architectural response aims to recover and showcase the passage of time on the house. Efforts were made to scrape the walls to reveal the colors they have gone through, preserve the rust on the metalwork, and reuse and restore doors and windows".
Uruguay
Urban House / FGM Arquitectos
- Location: Montevideo, Uruguay
- Year: 2014
"The project is located on an 8.66-meter lot in the Cordón neighborhood. There was an existing house from the 1930s that occupied the entire available area of the lot. The challenge was to design the facilities for the company Casa Urbana on the ground floor and to add a vertical extension containing the residential area. The remodeling of the ground floor was conceived by taking advantage of the existing structure and walls".
* The texts are excerpts from the descriptive memory of each project, sent by the authors themselves.
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