Although the causes of the collapse of the Apart Hotel Dubrovnik are still unknown, the Municipality of Villa Gesell confirmed that the collapse occurred at the back of the building and that works without the corresponding permits.
A local architect consulted by Clarion was in contact with the Secretary of Public Works of Villa Gesell, who reported that the completion of work on the hotel dates back to the ’90s and that Until 2021 there is no documentation related to works on the property. Only that year was a report on the facades presented.
“In August, the municipality discovered a dump truckinspected the work and stopped it. From the hotel, they declared that they were making minor repairs, such as changing floors. But he hole in the slab “At the front of the building it indicated work that is not minor and that was not declared, that floor was an elevator shaft,” said the architect.
It was then that the Municipality requested a report to be able to continue with the tasks. “The report refers to the tasks that were carried out at the front of the building. However, there was other work on the part that collapsed that was not authorized and, apparently, a structure was demolished,” added the architect.
According to this source, there was a municipal inspection and approval to continue with the tasks after the report was presented. For him, an issue to rethink is the regulatory framework that allows minor works to be carried out without supervision and without the intervention of a qualified professional.
“A demolished column can lead to the total collapse of the structure and that is something that is learned at the beginning in college,” defines an engineer from Pinamar who also works in the area. And he adds that “normally the fault warns. It starts with a crack or doors that can’t be opened. It’s rare that it collapsed without warning. For this reason, I am more inclined towards an explosion related to a gas leak,” he maintains.
“It may also happen that there is a broken pipe that generates a displacement of the basement but that also gives earlier warning,” he adds.
“It was a matter of inexperience. It has nothing to do with building on the Coast,” argues an architect who has projects in Mar Azul and Mar de las Pampas a few hours after the news became known.
Another architect who builds in Pinamar and Cariló and has known the building since he was a child discards the soil type hypothesis and points directly to the lack of control.
“Sand is very stable once it is compacted. What happened here was recklessness and working without the necessary controls or permits. What they are saying from early on is that it is a work without permission and also that there was an issue related to gas pipes in the elevator shaft,” he said.
The sources consulted by Clarion They also clarify that it is necessary discard hypotheses linked to the degrading action of the marine environment on the structure, which could occur on balconies with a lack of maintenance.
An architect from Mar del Plata also refutes the hypothesis of the original construction. “The sand used is one of the best surfaces to found. They’re talking a lot of nonsense. Until the expert report is available we cannot know “What exactly happened.”