Casa sobre el Arroyo
Casa sobre el Arroyo is a modern building situated in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, designed by Amancio Williams and Delfina Gálvez (husband and wife) and built between 1943-1946.
The building is held by an innovative structure made of armored concrete, a material that started being used and experimented with by modern architects of the moment like Amancio. This structure makes the house hover over Las Chacras water stream, that crosses the land dividing it in two.
Although the building's exterior appearance and the use of modern materials, like concrete, steel and glass, that helped for the house to blend with its natural area, the house's interior is based on the traditional "casa chorizo" distribution.
Alberto Williams in the piano area (original state).
The original purpose of the building was to serve as housing for the William's family, but especially for Amancio's father, Alberto Williams, one of the most important Argentina's music composers. Casa sobre el Arroyo was a place where he could live and compose, in a relaxed and natural ambient, isolated from the city outside. But Alberto Williams could not enjoy the house for a long time, as he died shortly after he received the house, so the building served for other utilities.
The property was passed down the family and later was sold for the LU9 radio station, that emitted, as they said, "from the house of the bridge, a bridge to your house", but eventually it was abandoned.
It was not until 2005 that the city realizes that they are loosing a very important architectonic piece, and General Pueyrredón Municipallity takes action. Thankfully, nowadays it has been fully restored.
LU9 radio station flyer.
Due to its importance, the building has been declared of Patrimonial, Cultural and Natural Interest by the General Pueyrredón Municipallity, and also Historical National Artistic Monument, and Cultural, Historical, Architectonical and Ambiental Patrimony of Buenos Aires' Province.
Interior of the house (abandoned state, pre-restoration).
Interior of the house (actual state, restoration).
In this web, we made an overall analysis of this architectural piece, studying every aspect of the Casa sobre el Arroyo, from the orientation chosen for the building to the installations and systems that made the house more livable and comfortable, and a leading building in its area.
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