Ramblas del Plata, the competition that seeks ideas for the future city in a new neighborhood of Buenos Aires

Nothing less than “imagine the future city.” Under this premise, the Ramblas del Plata International Ideas CompetitionTowards a Characterization of the Urban Fabric, promoted by the developer IRSA and organized by the Central Society of Architects, under the auspices of FADEA.

The firm headed by Eduardo S. Elsztain invites designers to think about building typologies and create photorealistic images that express creativity, innovation and sustainability for this new neighborhood of Buenos Aires, located on the grounds of the former Boca Juniors Sports City.

The non-binding contest closes December 9 and the prizes were stipulated in dollars: 50 thousand for the winner, 18 thousand for second place and 9 thousand for third place.

There will also be three mentions, at the discretion of the jury, who will receive two thousand dollars each. In all cases the prizes will be the equivalent in pesos to the Banco Nación selling currency exchange rate.

The sets to be characterized are those that include the buildings arranged in “strips” already the buildings arranged in “towers”. The proposals will help IRSA evaluate alternative expressive characterizations, calibrate decisions and disseminate the potential of the project to multiple actors.

As detailed in the bases, these two types of plots will make up the residential sector that has the masterplan prepared by Mc Cormack Asociadoswhich already has validation with the regulations for each of the types. It should be noted that previously The name of the development was Costa Urbana.

Conceptually, the masterplan includes “the incorporation of mixed uses and a diversity of building typologies in an adequate balance and within a framework of public/urban space, conditions of universal accessibility and supply of goods and services for ensure sustainability as a basic principle.”

The proposals They must take into account the park and public space of the new neighborhood since “they configure the project counterpart of the complex and added to the regulations and volumetric schemes prefigured in the masterplan, they will serve as premises for the development of the competition.”

Why did IRSA decide to make this call? “We had a very good experience with the ideas competition for the public park: although it was not binding, we ended up hiring the winners (Palo Arquitectura and West 8). That served as inspiration for this new stage,” explains architect Jorge Mandachain, leader of the Ramblas del Plata project and advisor of the competition for the developer.

The project covers 71.6 hectares, of which 29% will be used for private lots (20.6 ha) and 71% (50.9 ha) for public uses.

Its objectives include recovering access to the river, prolong the coastal walkgenerate a mixed fabric to revitalize the area, promote the connection of the sector with the City and create an open and public convening space.

The bases state that they seek to reconcile respect for the environment, valuing the Río de la Plata and its banks as a reflection of the historic city, incorporating a balanced diversity of usesarchitectural scales, expressive languages ​​and active interaction between public and private spaces.

For the architect Diego Rusticucci, advisor for the SCA, it will be “a unique opportunity to establish a way of living in the City in a contemporary key, promoting a close interaction with the land, water and air.”

In type 1 plots, with buildings arranged in strips, it is requested respect the provisions and volumes proposed in the masterplan, both in its layout and in its morphological characteristics (width, length and height).

As for the photorealistic images of the architectural envelopes, they must propose the characterization of an urban landscape that provides identity to the whole. It is also requested to explore the relationship of the ground floors with the public space, considering a main occupation of commercial uses in articulation with the environment and the location of underground parking.

Finally, a preeminently program must be respected residential and office as a complementary use in the typical floor plans of the buildings.

Regarding type 2 plots, with buildings arranged in towers, it is requested to respect the regulations and evaluate whether it is desirable include new layouts and volumes.

As in the case of the strips, the images of the architectural envelopes must provide identity to the wholewhile the relationship of the ground floors with the public space is fundamental.

The program is predominantly residential and office as complementary usewith ground floors where only own access to the buildings is contemplated, without including shops or other external uses. The development of functional layouts is not requested.

The bases include the normative summary for each type of set and show examples from different perspectives that will allow the reading of the undertaking as a whole and in its articulation with the city and the surrounding landmarks.

will be requested six “aerial” imageswhich as a suggestion, could be: From the Río de la Plata to the City, From the City to the Río de la Plata; From the Power Plant to the Ecological Reserve; From the Ecological Reserve to the Power Plant; Approach to the Rotunda from the Park; and another of your choice.

Perspectives will also have to be attached sectoral, access and corridors; and pedestrian perspectives that will allow the reading of specific situations of the buildings in their resolution of the ground floor to verify the relationship with the public space.

That is, the proposed criteria and resolutions will be evaluated to materialize active ground floorsits expansions and permeability conditions to promote the interaction of the various typologies at the pedestrian level.

As already said, the competition of ideas is non-binding, single-proof and is open to professionals of Architecture and graduates in Planning, Urbanism and to all multidisciplinary teams made up of designers, sculptors, plastic artists, philosophers, anthropologists, historians and/or creatives of other disciplines that wish to participate, according to the rules.

The architect Jorge Mandachain acts as advisors for the Developer; and the architect Diego Rusticucci, appointed by the Central Society of Architects.

There will be three juries appointed by the promoter, who will also define who of the three will be the president, with double voting. Another three juries will be defined by the organizer, one by the SCA, one by the FADEA and the third will be chosen by the participants.

The closing date for the presentation of proposals is December 9 andThe jury’s decision will be on the 16th of the same month. In principle, and according to Mandachain’s estimate, there will be no extension.

Registration costs $10,000 and the rules can be downloaded from the SCA and FADEA websites.

He development of Ramblas del Plata It will be carried out in several stages. Mandachain explains that the first will be around the central baywhich includes 25 lots (intended for mixed uses, with a preponderance of housing, with a commercial plinth and perhaps offices, plus a longitudinal pedestrian promenade that runs along the bay).

They are already in the bidding stage for infrastructure and roads, and curating the commercial base. It will take between 3 to 5 years.

In the second stage the entire subdivision will be developed towards the City and the third is the peninsula that overlooks the river. “There the 61 plots that are grouped in 15 new apples for the city, in a total of 15 years, obviously gradually, accompanying the absorption of the market and waiting for it to accompany the economic situation of the country,” concludes the project leader.