While Buenos Aires' architecture is known for its heterogenous and constantly-changing nature, within the city's low density residential sectors, it's possible to detect forms and patterns that have remained constant under the city's many transformations. One of these is the HP, or Horizontal Property, a legal concept that allows for multiple constructions on one lot, resulting in a handful of low-rise structures congregated together in a high-density layout.
Not all works of architecture are a success. In fact, there is a term reserved especially for architectural creations that have proven simultaneously extravagant and wasteful: "White Elephants."
Foster + Partners have begun construction on Avenida Cordoba 120, a new 35-story office tower in Buenos Aires. Sited between the traditional city center and the main entrance to the Puerto Madero harbor area, the project is designed to become a landmark building along the city's skyline. Balancing structure and nature, the tower is made to create a new standard for office design in Argentina and the larger region.
Since March 20, the Argentine government has taken drastic measures to protect the public and curb the spread of COVID-19, including mandatory social isolation. Under these measures, residents and anyone visiting the country must remain indoors and abstain from visiting public spaces until the March 31.
Perhaps nowhere are the effects of the quarantine more notable than on the streets. All cultural, recreational, athletic, and religious events have been cancelled. Public areas like plazas and parks are ghost towns. With the streets closed, balconies have become the new platforms for everything from social interactions and celebrations to protests.
Relatively unknown outside his home country, Clorindo Testa (December 10, 1923 – April 11, 2013) was one of Argentina’s most important 20th-century architects. Consistently defying categorization, Testa had a hand in two of Buenos Aires’ most iconic buildings, the Bank of London and South America, and the National Library, as well as many others throughout his long career. Characteristically enigmatic, Testa would only ever acknowledge Le Corbusier as an influence, saying, “I never paid attention to other architects.” As a former colleague Juan Fontana described, Testa spoke the language of brutalism with an Argentine accent.
SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP), in partnership with Consultatio Real Estate, presented their project for Buenos Aires titled “Catalinas Rio”, an office building on the banks of the La Plata River that is designed to double as a center of activity and expansion for the Catalinas Norte business district. With a plethora of public green spaces and two trapezoidal buildings linked by walkways and green terraces, the project aims to create a new and vibrant identity for the district and the city as a whole. Construction is due to be completed in 2022.
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Under the theme of “Science, Innovation, Art, and Creativity for Human Development. Creative Industries in Digital Convergence”, Buenos Aires will host the Expo 2023. Pablo Pschepiurca, Rodrigo Grassi, María Hojman, and Karla Montauti won the first prize in an international competition to create a bridge and a boulevard for the occasion.
Vienna, Austria has been ranked as the city with the best quality of life in the world for ten consecutive years. The ranking made by multinational consultancy Mercer is dominated by Western European cities in the highest positions, while Vancouver, Canada reached third place, becoming the highest-ranking city in North America for the last 10 years.
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