An open scaffold, formed by the structural concrete grid expressed on the façade, defines an adaptable interior and semi-covered exterior spaces to accommodate large numbers of students and faculty. To the north, generous covered open air galleries at each floor provide multi-functional spaces with small gardens, adaptable as expanded classroom space, informal seating, or a site for artist installations. Sculpted triangular columns and openings in the slab link the gallery on the north with open-air stairs on east and west façades to optimize porosity, outdoor connections, and the play of light and shadow. With elongated proportions, the Park Building’s eight levels accommodate a flexible daylit interior within the open structural grid, with in-between spaces to maximize opportunities for social encounters and collaboration. 

The ground floor concentrates areas for collective student activity with public engagement inside and out: cafeteria, lounges, study and conference rooms. The Pavilion extends the cafeteria outside as an informal meeting place, and a connection to the plaza on axis with the main campus hub, the Alcorta building. 

The Central Plaza, a generous and adaptable landscape, is responsive to both climatic conditions and the character of the surrounding site. Within the loose-fit pavers, native grasses and hardscaped shade patios map the arc of the sun; to the southwest, a shaded jacaranda forest marks the entry from Sáenz Valiente Street and the adjacent Belgrano neighborhood. Sustainable site and building systems are adapted to the warm temperate climate of Buenos Aires. The garden plaza and forest alleviate heat island effects, while the recessed glazing of the northern galleries provide passive cooling, distinguishing the building with deep shadows enhancing the experiential quality through the generous, semi-covered outdoor space.

The Park Building and Central Plaza integrates the historic plan and contemporary lineage of the Universidad Torcuato di Tella campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a narrow mass, the cloistered building frames the central plaza, articulating its southern edge while visually connecting the campus with the neighboring park to the south through a transparent ground floor.

Johnston Marklee

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Universidad Torcuato di Tella Park Building & Central Plaza

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Client

Universidad Torcuato di Tella

Location

Buenos Aires, AR

Years

2022-2022

Site Area

5,280 m2

Floor Area

14,735 m2

Partners

Sharon Johnston, Mark Lee, Diego Arraigada (Diego Arraigada Arquitectos)

Project Team

Klelia Siska, Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo, Darien Carr, Christian Szalay (Johnston Marklee); Sofia Rothman, Paula Pasquinelli, Nicolas Alvarez Saby, Francisco Falabella, Manuel Cucurell (Diego Arraigada Arquitectos)

Executive Architect

Diego Arraigada Arquitectos

Structural & Cost Consultant: Juan Gabriel Porrini, Sustainability & Acoustics Consultant: Mariana Peirano, Visualizations: Igor Brozyna