PROJECT Colorful Corner: La Boca, Buenos Aires
LOCATION La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 5/10/2016
PROJECT CATEGORY Undergraduate / Beginning Design
PROJECT TYPE Studio
ENTRANT Elyse Smith
TEAM MEMBERS
SCHOOL Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
FACULTY SPONSOR Paola Zellner Bassett, Professor / Architecture
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
As a first introduction to urban planning and architecture, I was tasked with designing three different conditions for a site in the colorful neighborhood of La Boca, Buenos Aires. The three different conditions were to encompass social, residential, and educational spaces. The educational space later evolved to a 1500 square-foot tango school, and the residential space was to be a series of apartments that together would be around 6000 square feet. The designs should exhibit strong urban sensibility and extensive research of the culture and site.
STUDENT'S STATEMENT
I needed to learn as much about this site as I could without traveling to the southern hemisphere. I looked at the surrounding neighborhood and saw the vivid "Caminito" just around the corner. The street which is to the left of the plot, leads straight to the "Boca Juniors" soccer stadium and hosts a market-- it would be a heavily congested area. The site is currently home to a life-sized mural that reads "Republica de la Boca" and is a picturesque backdrop for tourists. A pedestrian path exists next to the mural, coming from the waterfront. After reviewing these urban conditions, I studied different views that I wanted to capture, and paths that I wanted to employ. I looked at sun path, noise, publicity/seclusion, and various ways I could "break" the flat topography. I even participated in tango lessons as an effort to better understand the necessities of the dance. As an addition to the city, my ultimate goal was to maintain the integrity of La Boca. With this goal in mind, and many considerations to develop upon, I broke the topography about a pedestrian pathway and produced hierarchy of planes. By breaking ground, I created a tunnel that would direct pedestrians to the rooftop outdoor patio space, and I created a lower more private patio that surrounds the more privatized apartments. A colorful screen clads the facades of both the tango school and the apartment complex and adds color while framing views of the street to allow sunlight yet enhance privacy. The apartment complex features luxury units--each different in shape and size and with a balcony. The tango school experiences a connection with the mural tunnel and can be accessed through three entrances. The rooftop outdoor patio space offers a performance space for tango right infront of the mural.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1: compphoto, View of tango school and apartment complex on site, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 2: compcloseup, view of the vibrant screen facade of apartment complex, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 3: compsiterelationships, View shows varying terraces for the apartment, and the rooftop area ontop of the tango school, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 4: compperspective, drawing of the site with the topography altered, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 5: comptunnelfinal, View of underground tunnel that frames existing mural, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 6: complaboca, 3/32 scaled model that shows site and location of mural within La Boca city, Elyse Smith
IMAGE 7: compundergroundtunnel, Rendering shows the experience as you walk through the tunnel passageway underneath the roof-top social area and park, Elyse Smith
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Colorful Corner: La Boca, Buenos Aires
Category
AIA Maryland Student Design Awards > Undergraduate > Undergraduate / Beginning Design
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