Torre del Molino Housing / Estudio Castellitti-Bertoni Arqs & Asoc.

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: Estudio Castellitti-Bertoni Arqs & Asoc.
Photographs:Federico Cairoli

Text description provided by the architects. Site

Galvez Boulevard is the flagship corridor of the city, a linear botanical garden is divided into a sequence of places and buildings of high environmental and historical value: at its beginning to the east the Suspension Bridge, continues on to the Ex - FFCC Belgrano Station, the old Market and Plaza Pueyrredón, industrial disused complex Molino Franchino, now converted into Fábrica Cultural (cultural factory). Precisely the process undertaken in recent years of recovery and value of these buildings transforms them into urban icons, strongly encouraging the conversion of the environment as a whole. In this context the Molino Franchino and Fabrica Cultural begin to produce changes in the environment, this neighborhood, a mix of old and new houses, old factories or abandoned warehouses transformed into nightclubs, today it is already showing signs of change.

Premises

The project consists in the recovery of an ancient trading town hall on the corner -a vestige of typical corner constructions of early twentieth century. A counterpoint is established by laying out at the back, in the remaining plot, a semi-tower with 3 open sides. Facing south overlooking the Boulevard, west to 25 de Mayo street, and north to Aristobulo del Valle avenue, continuing 25 street.

Conceptual Design

The construction boom as investment tool has created a speculative process that in many cases causes a strong negative impact in urban development.

Thinking of the construction of a building complex based on the essential features of living in a strongly characterized time and place, we proposed an option to a mere speculative interest. This option seeks to rediscover the potential, the energies that underlie neighborhoods, streets, squares, parks, in their natural environment, in their inhabitants.

In our city, the conversion of areas is a transformation of great complexity. The emergence of large-scale infrastructure in a contemporary urban landscape, allows us to try out new forms of life. Thus, what from the point of view of the traditional city is an environmentally polluted territory, is transformed from an altitude into an almost sublime landscape, dominated from a well connected location, surrounded by parks, business first class businesses, sports areas and cultural facilities.

Proposal

A high performance and maximum flexibility building, designed on a single floor with alternatives or combination uses: housing | studios | offices. In all cases the units are semifloors, where all the rooms have natural light and cross ventilation; in addition to spacious covered semi exclusive spaces and a core that operates as an intermediate space between the private and the street.

Among other things, living and working in the same urban space contributes to a more equitable distribution of centrality of the city, it means enjoying memorable landscapes, with better accessibility, along with better facilities and environmental conditions. For architects, this entails a responsible analysis of the city as the main stage of professional practice and the role of architectural design in the process of transformation and configuration of physical space.