Urbanidad Propioceptiva. Bordeando lo distal y proximal | Self-perceptive Urbanity. Bordering on the distal and proximal

CONCEPT. Being river means a virtually merged perception between what's own and what belongs to the landscape. It implies a special attention to the stimuli that the natural space provides. Sounds, aromas, colours, movements. Particularities to revert, to exploit or to emphasize are identified in the environment, from approximations using exploratory maps. The proposal seeks to establish these relationships that are considered neglected or lost with the natural environment, which we regard as a particularity to be harnessed within the urban fabric. We seek to characterize the space by its emphasized horizontality in dialogue with the landscape, by the pre-existing fragmentations of perception, and by the marked and contrasting duality, although sometimes overlapping, between perceptions and self-perceptions. 

SITE. Heterotopic relative to the city structure. Densely populated with residential-based activities. Intense in spontaneous appropriations. Synchronic in its routines. Instantaneous in the perception of atypical situations. Discourse and transcourse blended in matched interpretations amongst observers and actors. 

PROPOSAL. Emphasized portuary landscape density. Differentiation between stimuli regarding discursive perceptions and transcursive self-perceptions. Heterotopy towards the site’s verticality. Isotopy through the consideration of the riverside’s horizontal landscape. Referencing of the fragmented perception of the landscape created by buildings as a site feature. Consolidation and preservation of the coastline. 

SITE DESCRIPTION. Unrelated to the urban fabric of the city of Santa Fe, the site can be characterized merely as a support to new construction projects, lacking articulation towards the natural environment and the territory, which results in public space being disregarded and neglected by the city and its inhabitants.

Any activity which is out of the ordinary becomes an intense experience in this otherwise monotone residential space. An example of this is ‘El Molino’, a public arts school located on a recently refurbished 1900s flour mill.

Discourse and transcourse meet in similar perceptions. No-places derive in interpretations of the site which become identical for those who experience it and those who spectate. 

PROPOSAL INTENTIONS. We seek to emphasize, through our built intervention on public space, a notorious density surrounding the portuary landscape.

Furthermore, through individual interventions along the riverside path, we intend to create situations of strong intensity, transcursively integrating the user with the landscape experience, providing instantaneous perceptions through the emphasis of certain visuals, movements and aromas.

A heterological discourse towards the verticality of recent construction projects on the site is sought after. This is to be achieved by continuing to remark the horizontality of the river in our project. 

BUILDING DESCRIPTION. The river edge is to be materialized through a linear intervention. The building stands between the street and the edge of the water, and is constituted of several individual volumes lying under a single continuous roof which stretches over 150m, emphasizing the landscape’s horizontality and framing visuals where the building is interrupted.

The riverside is toured through two paths, one next to the street, turning it into a public green strip, and one by the water, which allows for experiences linked to the river and its vibes.

Finally, a large, public, barely intervened space is provided between the art school and our proposal, in order to fulfill the requirements of the port regulatory plan.