In Barracas, five buildings around a new urban passage with an old chimney

“I like tell a story through the project, so that people connect with the site,” says Carla Bechelli. That intention is reflected in Canvas, the housing complex that her studio is building in Barracas together with the developer Newland.

Is about an unusual set, with five blocks articulated from a semi-public passage. On this interior street stands a brick chimney that belonged to an ice cream factory that was on the site.

“In the initial phase of the projects we do research to understand the identity of the place, in reference to its landscape, its culture, its history and its roots. We are interested in shaping these elements and fusing them to create an architecture of timeless presence,” he explains.

Canvas has 115 apartments and was born from the union of three lands located on Avenida Suárez, meters from Montes de Oca and very close to Plaza Colombia. In addition to Carla Bechelli architects, the BMA studio participated in the preliminary project.

It is multidisciplinary team The idea was raised of completing the existing urban fabric, consolidating the block and generating (with the passage) a space for daytime use for the enjoyment of the neighborhood.

Martín Bodas says that together with Bechelli they worked on the idea of ​​the partyfacing the challenge of consolidating an apple with a very particular fabric.

“Somehow we started designing an urban piece. We model the block, we model the volumes of the existing buildings and, from that, we imagine what the piece would be to be able to regularize and work the completion of that fabric. There arises a quite particular project, where the private space participates in the public space and, vice versa,” he explains.

In Canvas, the reference to the industrial past of the neighborhood is materialized through the conservation and enhancement of the chimney, which in addition to referring to history is constituted as an icon of the new complex.

Meanwhile, the peace and tranquility of the Barracas scale appears in the urban passage proposalsince the buildings are accessed from this street, far from the traffic of Avenida Suárez, on which the complex is located.

The “great amenity” of the project, say those responsible, is this passage that is offered as new social space, meeting and exchange between neighbors. The five blocks and their entrances are distributed around them, giving dynamism to the ground floor, where they are located six locationstwo of them with independent entrance on the front.

“On the other hand,” Bechelli continues, “it is much nicer to enter from the passage, where there will be landscaping and cafesthan from the traffic on the Avenue.”

According to Martín Bodas, what was sought “is to sift all the party walls of the block with different volumes, opening a route with this kind of central square“which also offers access to all units.” Four of the buildings are residential, with units of various typologies. The fifth block, called “club de amenities”has four levels (gym, gym, sum for adults and green terrace with solarium and 18 m pool).

Bechelli explains that the decision to concentrate the amenities is due to the fact that in this way they are in the quietest place, towards the back of the land, and with the pool. in the place with the most sunlight.

On the other hand, the different architectural modules had to be channeled with these intentions, ensuring that the nuclei and spaces of the units had great spatial quality.

After several tests with different locations, the idea arose to separate the blocks to achieve greater differentiation, thinking voids as essential elements of modular articulation from the entrances to have the least interruption in the route of the passage.

In this way it is possible to provide formal purity to the buildings, which is emphasized with the assembly of a plinth for commercial premises.

The four towers differ both in their volumetry and in their different typologies and their relative location within the passage.

On the front and flush with the party walls, are the María and Los Olivos towers. The first, with 15 floors, has units of up to 90 m2, some of which can be unified, with a large glass perimeter that provides unique city and river views; plus a rooftop with terrace for exclusive use. Her name, María, is inspired by the first owner of these lands, during the time of carts and colonial houses.

Meanwhile, Los Olivos – so called because 200 years ago it was a land of olive groves – has 10 floors and is the one with the largest perimeter extension, since sand goes 30 m into the passage. From its units, up to 120 m2, you can enjoy incredible views of the sunset.

The five-story Felicitas tower is located at the bottom of the site and houses premium residences up to 180 m2with large terraces and high quality environments.

Finally, the Lucía tower seeks create community with flexible spaces and units that do not exceed 70 m2, possible to be unified.

The objective was to provide spaces for coworking, adaptable to future needs. Its name is reminiscent of the Santa Lucía pulpera, whose business was formerly part of the Barracas neighborhood.

Although there are some garages on the ground floor, Canvas’s main parking lot is located in the basement, with a capacity for about 90 cars.

“We achieved a project that sew the history of the neighborhood and it is projected into the future with an innovative design,” says Bechelli.

“The chimney, with its majestic presence -concludes the architect-, makes it an urban landmark, gives it a symbolism that makes it iconic. The passage, as an urban intervention of socialization and encounter, opens to the community and transmits the magic of the neighborhood scale that Barracas still preserves.”

Preliminary project. Carla Bechelli Architects + BMA Project. Carla Bechelli Architects Construction company. AGH Group Structural advisor. Carlos Calissano Facilities advisors. GNBA consultants Location. Av Suárez 1741-1773, City of Buenos Aires. Surface. 16.200m2