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BUILDING |
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Casa de Gobierno
City Hall |
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DESIGNER |
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CONTEXT |
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| Relationship with the location |
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 The scheme occupies the whole site to create an internal campus of ‘villages’, which are connected by circulation routes and external landscaped patios and are unified by a flowing roof canopy. The entrance plaza is sheltered by the deep overhang of the roof, which is supported by slender pillars. A full-height atrium directs circulation into four tiers of terraced office spaces, all of which have direct views of the park. Based on an eight-metre-square planning grid, the generous light-filled floor plates allow the work spaces to be flexibly planned.
The plans form part of a wider regeneration initiative in the barrio of Parque Patricios, a formerly light industrial area to the south of the city centre, which has been identified by the city’s government as a centre of technology. |
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DESCRIPTION |
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 Lord Foster has attended opening celebrations in Buenos Aires for the new Buenos Aires Ciudad Casa de Gobierno, a sustainable new city hall for the Mayor and 1,500 staff – and the practice’s first civic project in Argentina. Spanning an entire city block in Parque Patricios, the building is a catalyst for the regeneration of the neighbourhood and combines an environmentally efficient design with an innovative, highly flexible internal arrangement of terraced working floors.
 Entry is through a soaring four-storey-high atrium. Full-height glass walls fill the space with natural light and create a visual connection with the adjacent park. The four tiers of workspaces step back to create a sequence of internal terraces. All floors are connected by top-lit circulation routes and punctuated by two large landscaped patios. The activity spaces are open, naturally lit and visible, ensuring good communication between departments and promoting a sense of community.
The generous floor plates are based on an eight-metre grid, which allows for a wide variety of layouts – the building was originally commissioned as the headquarters for Banco Ciudad, and the inherent flexibility of its design has enabled a seamless transition into government offices. Further facilities include a café and a 300-seat wood-panelled auditorium, which can be used for events by the local neighbourhood.
Externally, the building is characterised by its flowing roof canopy, which is supported by pillars and extends in a deep overhang to shade the entrance plaza and facades. Inside, the concrete barrel vaulted roof is textured and exposed. The use of industrial materials reinforces the formerly artisan character of Parque Patricios, while the thermal mass of the concrete soffits, combined with chilled beams, help to naturally regulate the temperature and keep the offices cool. It will be the first public building in Argentina to achieve the environmental award for sustainability of LEED Silver standard. Every aspect of the scheme was designed in response to the local climate, including the composition of each facade – the eastern and western elevations are shaded by a screen of louvres, which rise the full height of the building. |
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| David Summerfield, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners: |
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 “This is an important milestone for the practice, and we are proud that our first civic work in Argentina is such an important government office for Buenos Aires. Its design is very much a response to the local context, socially and environmentally – our aim has been to create a highly flexible building, which celebrates the city’s wonderful climate and the unique park-side setting, and will make a positive addition to a revitalised neighbourhood.” |
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VIDEO |
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MATERIALS |
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ECO-SUSTAINABILITY |
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| General ecology |
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 Lord Foster said:
“Sustainability relates very strongly to local resources and climate, and Buenos Aires Ciudad Casa de Gobierno is a great demonstration of how architecture can work with nature via passive environmental means to naturally reduce energy use. The roof extends like a canopy to provide shade, its flowing concrete structure is both symbolic as a civic building and functional in regulating temperatures. Shading louvres on the east and west protect the interior from direct glare, while courtyards allow sunlight into the heart of the building – in this way, its design is very much a response to place and climate. The project has played a vital role in regenerating this former industrial quarter of the city.” |
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LOCATION |
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| Continent |
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South America |
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 Argentina |
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 Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
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 Buenos Aires |
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| Address |
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Uspallata 3160 (Barrio Parque de los Patricios)
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MAP |
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TYPOLOGY |
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ARCHITECTURE | Public buildings
Government buildings
Administration buildings
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Additional |
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ARCHITECTURE | Education buildings
Auditorium
Commercial buildings
Bars, cafeterias
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CHRONOLOGY |
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Project |
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2009 - 2010
project winner of competition
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Realisation |
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2010 - 2015 |
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CLIENT |
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AMOUNT |
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DIMENSIONAL
DATA |
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| Surface |
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| Widht |
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| Floors |
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| Capacity |
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STRUCTURES |
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Curutchet-Del Villar Ingenieros Civiles
Raul Curutchet |
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STAFF |
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| Project |
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| Associate designers |
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BBRCH-Minond
Carlos Berdichevsky |
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| Construction management |
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Roberto Carretero
structures:
CRIBA S.A.
Ing. Alberto J. Tarasido |
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| Systems |
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| Consultant |
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Estudio Marta Carena
Estudio Gigli
PHA Consult |
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| Safety coordination |
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CREDITS |
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Photos © Foster + Partners
Drawings © Foster + Partners
Text edited by Foster + Partners
Courtesy of Foster + Partners
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