Google Search Results
You arrived here after searching for the following phrases:
Click a phrase to jump to the first occurrence, or return to the search results.
The regeneration of Puerto Madero is Buenos Aires’ most successful modern urban project, yet it is still one of the most controversial areas of the city. Located just a stone’s throw away from Boca, many porte?os see it as emblematic of the social problems in Argentina: the huge gap between the rich and the poor.
The area is fiercely criticised for being detached from the city and being a playground for the rich tourists and businessmen. But while it may not be well connected, once you make the journey there you are rewarded – in amongst the office buildings and over-priced bars and restaurants lie some impeccably restored old red-brick dock buildings, and beautifully landscaped boulevards and parks.
The latest dockside development on the drawing board is being led by the owner of the modestly titled Faena Hotel and Universe, and is called the Faena Art District. Alan Faena, an Argentine entrepreneur, commissioned the conversion of the old red-brick grain elevator building into the trendy and eccentric Faena Hotel, which was designed by the famous French architect, Philippe Stark.
Now Faena is extending his ‘empire’ through the Art District project. It will include the Faena Hotel and two new building projects – the conversion of a beautiful old mill, and a new mixed-use development called The Aleph after the Borges story of the same name. He has succeeded in attracting world-class architects Fosters + Partners to design The Aleph – the final piece in the Faena Art District jigsaw.
Lofty aspirations for the project outlined by the Faena Universe talk of ‘creating a unique environment, where great architecture, avant-garde culture and new technologies join with nature in an exceptional urban space’.
But these lofty aspirations have not just been plucked out of thin air. The port has a history of innovation and progress through technology and great architecture. And this project aims to celebrate the past by regenerating these old buildings, while encouraging technological innovation in the future through a sustainable, inspiring landmark building – El Aleph – and through the art projects which will be housed in the Los Molinos building.
The story of Puerto Madero
From when the city was first founded, up until the 19th century, ships would have to anchor a fair distance from the coast and chariots were used to transfer the merchandise to the land. As overseas trading increased, it became apparent that a port must be built to serve the city. Eduardo Madero won a contest with his design of closed docks, which were all interconnected, and the works were completed in 1897.
By the start of the 20th century there was a dramatic increase not only in international trade, but also in vessel size, which the port designed by Madero was unable to accommodate. Puerto Nuevo was built between 1911 and 1925 and eventually rendered Puerto Madero unused.
It was not until 1989 that plans for the regeneration of this area came about. The regeneration project has been hugely successful in terms of the reclamation of the public space and the conversion of many old derelict buildings, but unsuccessful in providing efficient transport links with the rest of the city. A token effort was made in 2001 with the construction of the Puente de la Mujer bridge which is the newest link between east and west, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
But now Faena is seemingly embracing the whole city. Two of the developments in his Art District will be mixed use, with private apartments as well as public spaces where the public are invited to come and be inspired by Argentine art, technology and culture in world class architectural spaces.
Los Molinos
The old mill, Los Molinos, is emblematic of the history of Argentina and has been declared a national heritage site. One hundred years ago it was the first great mill of Argentina and was famed for its design that integrated advanced technology. It used to grind 1,000 tonnes of wheat a day, and Argentina, known as the ‘breadbasket of the world’, was providing food for 300m people worldwide.
The conversion of the old mill is being designed by McCormack & Associates. Faena wants this to be a legacy for the country: a building where two periods – the centenary (when it was built) and bicentenary in 2010 will unite.
“In the same way as our predecessors celebrated the centenary, we want to transcend the present and establish a bridge to the future Argentine generations, to transmit our vision, our inspiration and our trust,” he says.
The architects will be retaining many of the architectural elements of the machine room and the mills. The old machine room will soon be home to the Laboratory of Experimentation in Art (LEA) and will display winning artworks from the LEA’s awards.
These awards stemmed from Faena’s belief ‘in the power of art to become a stimulus of enormous importance in society’. The awards are open to artists from across Latin America. The LEA aims to select art projects specially conceived for the old machine room of the Los Molinos building. “Bearing in mind this space’s exceptional features and the unique environment of its setting, winning projects will interact in a new, intelligent and poetic way with the space, the history of the building and the urban context in which it is located.”
The Aleph
The architects working on The Aleph, the high profile Fosters + Partners, are responsible for most of the radical new designs to come out of the UK such as the skyscraper design of London’s Swiss Re Building also known as the Gherkin, the Sage in Gateshead and the new Wembley stadium. Their landmark buildings have caught the imagination of the world and recent international projects have included Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport and the Millau bridge in France.
Now for the first time their attention has turned to Latin America, and their vision for this project is: “A sustainable development fusing art, culture and good living with the latest technologies and a commitment to urban regeneration.” And when they say good living, they mean good living. Phase 2 of the development will see the construction of a floating island clubhouse with swimming pool and spa with a 100-room hotel. Three mixed-use residential schemes make up the waterside development, with ‘generous civic space’ at the heart of the project.
But so far both the architects and Faena are reluctant to give away any more details of just how the public will benefit from this project.
Who is it really for?
In some ways the success of the project seems to be already a given – the day after Fosters and Faena launched the project in London last November, 40% of the development had already been snapped up by mostly British and European customers. If Puerto Madero wanted to capture the attention of European investors, then this project is already a success.
However whether the locals embrace his new Art District remains to be seen. As one person pointed out to me, the title is in English and that alone is perhaps enough for porte?os to realise that this project is not really aimed at them. If it was, then surely the name would be in Spanish.
But what is impressive about this project is that it is a simple idea about celebrating progress in the city not by tearing down buildings and erecting modern buildings in their place, as is so often the case in Buenos Aires. It is about reclaiming disused buildings that are an important part of the city’s heritage. Progress through regeneration, not through demolition.
Eternautas is a company which organises architectural and historical tours of the city, including a 2 hour tour of Puerto Madero. Call 15-4173-1078 or visit www.eternautas.com for more information.
Facebook comments