CONTEXTO

Towards the end of the 20th century Montevideo's historic city centre began to lose importance in favour of other districts which in themselves became new urban centres. This process by now probably irreversible, acquired far greater significance in the last decade. Administrative, financial, commercial and even government offices (due in part to the process of decentralisation of the municipal authority) chose to move away from the centre. There was no new growth as such: the new buildings were scattered throughout the lower-density neighbourhoods. In the present case, a company which operated from the heart of what the 19th-century development plan had called ciudad novissima, took the decision to relocate to the Parque Batlle heritage district, a central area where the morphology is practically suburban. In this area, the urban landscape features a consolidated ensemble of two and three-storey residences of considerable urban significance and substantial gardens; the reds and terracottas of the brickwork and roof tiles intermingle with the vibrant greens of the exuberant botanical varieties in Parque Batlle. The park was laid out early in the 20th century on designs by Carlos Thays along the outer rim of the ciudad novissima, at the end of its principal avenue, and was intended as a "green lung" for the city.

ACTUACIÓN

The pulsating, dynamic enveloping wall offers both the users inside and the surrounding neighbourhood a very particular image, providing a feeling of ownership and identifying each individual space with the object as a whole. The two color schemes merge into the views from inside and outside the pavilion. The exposed concrete structure, slightly inset from the facade line and explicitly apparent in the triple-height columns and beams, enables a permanent perception of the flow of space parallel to the enclosing walls and gives continuity to each enclosed area as part of the whole multicoloured volume, while also stressing the horizontal rhythm. Workspace quality is achieved by responding to the users' needs; functional requirements are met while providing distinct identities to each space. The size and organisation of the working areas are determined on the basis of the specific tasks carried out, with the necessary acoustic and HVAC requirements duly attended to. The building has shown great flexibility and adaptability to the reorganization requirements raised.