Located in one of the most compact and densely populated downtown areas of Buenos Aires, with more than 650 inhabitants per hectare, the "Dr. Bernardo A. Houssay" Plaza was created in 1975 on the grounds of the former Buenos Aires Hospital, based on a project by a multidisciplinary team that included landscape designers Pradial Gutiérrez, Aldo Mario Liberatori and Román Wellington Peñalba. Surrounded by the Faculties of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Dentistry, Social Sciences, Economics and Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, which together with the nearby Hospital-School of Clinics José de San Martín, host approximately 100,000 students, the square was progressively disfigured by partial and uncoordinated actions that fragmented its spatial and environmental condition, making it uncomfortable.
Faced with this situation, the municipality of the City of Buenos Aires calls for an open competition in 2017 for the new concession of the plaza's subway parking lot, requesting that the proposals be accompanied by strategic projects to reconvert part of the parking lot into public and cultural services that complement a redesign of the plaza.
The winning project of RDR architects is summarized in four main strategies:
1. Green perimeter ring: group and characterize the green areas.
Arranged in large green perimeter without abrupt edges, this ring is presented as a large urban park, with integrated green areas and recreational areas (sports courts, healthy stations and street furniture). It also acts as a buffer to create a contained environment in the central area.
2. Safe space: Attract passers-by and illuminate the square.
The new layout of the pedestrian paths, designed on the basis of the entrances to the neighboring faculties, ensures that the diagonal route of the square is as comfortable and direct as possible. This condition encourages pedestrians to use it on their routes. The new lighting frames these routes and makes the center and the church an active and luminous place.
3. Dry central area: Revalue St. Luke's Church and build a new center.
The proposal incorporates the church into the new 50 x 50 m dry central area. Thanks to the pre-existing tipas and jacaranda trees, this space is an ideal place for various shaded activities, creating an active and dynamic center.
4. Cultural and service space: Create a mixed-use area fully integrated to the plaza.
Proposed as a large church plinth, this mixed-use space is located below the clear central square facing Córdoba Avenue. A segment slopes slightly towards the center of the block, creating a natural amphitheater that guides and connects the perimeter with the new cultural and service uses, along with connections to the subway and parking. Thanks to its new and different activities, this sector allows for an extension of the plaza's hourly use.
In this way, the project promotes new links between the square, public transportation and surrounding institutions by reformulating the relationship between the urban surface and the lower levels.
This proposal is part of a research on the possible ways to intervene the public space in a sustainable way, being able to recover and enhance the value of the pre-existing landscaping together with a considerable increase in green areas. At the same time, new functions are proposed for this urban green: construction of microclimates, retention of polluting atmospheric particles, preservation of the existing habitat and biodiversity, and the absorption and slowing down of rainwater, which increases the thermal stability of the square.
In terms of landscaping, the project proposes a low to medium maintenance park with vegetation of proven resistance to urban use and the existing climatic situation. The existing vegetation is maintained and incorporated into the landscape project, with only the necessary phytosanitary treatment or pruning of the trees. Native or naturalized exotic vegetation (less than 10% of the latter) with low or medium water requirements is also incorporated. As all the landscaping is developed on the slabs that house the subway parking lots, second or third magnitude trees are proposed, suitable for development in this condition, with fast or medium growth, varied foliage and flowering, which guarantee strong color contrasts between flowerbeds throughout the year, favoring the use of large masses of the same species.
Species are chosen to guarantee strong and interesting color contrasts between beds throughout the year, favoring the use of large stands of the same species.
At all times we are thinking of a low to medium maintenance park with vegetation of proven resistance to urban use and the existing climatic situation.
Trees / Palms
Bauhinia candicans *v
Jacaranda mimosifolia *v
Butia yatay * (Butia Palm)
Syagrus romanzoffiana (Pindó Palm) *v
Shrubs
Abelia nana
Lantana montevidensis * (Lantana montevidensis)
Herbaceous/ Grasses
Agapanthus africanus (Agapanthus celestial flower) Paspalum exaltatum* * Shrubs
Pennisetum setaceum "rubrum" (Pennisetum rubra)
Ground cover
Salvia procurrens* (Creeping sage)
Lawn
Cynodon dactylon
Bermuda grass is incorporated for the trample areas. Although it is not a native species, it is naturalized and very well adapted to the rainfall and sunlight regime of the City of Buenos Aires. In order to avoid excess irrigation water consumption, no autumn reseeding is foreseen. As it is a fast regrowth grass, it is considered as part of the natural cycle that it yellows in winter seasons of intense and prolonged cold or summers of extreme drought.
*Native vegetation
Energy concept
The project proposes to considerably increase the green area and the number of trees in the complex. In addition to providing recreational, leisure or contemplation spaces, some basic urban functions of the Urban Green are improved: establishment of microclimates, retention of polluting atmospheric particles and the preservation of the habitat and biodiversity of plant species and urban fauna. The absorption and slowing down of rainwater are directly increased, as well as the thermal stability of the square, reducing radiation in summer.
In the hard areas, highly durable interlocking blocks were used, which are easy to lay and repair and have the capacity to absorb rainwater. To complete the preventive measures, a water slowing tank was incorporated in the subsoil.
The project incorporates the idea of collecting rainwater and its subsequent use for irrigation. This tank also serves as an irrigation reserve for the green areas. In the event that more water is eventually required than is provided for in this reserve, it will be supplemented with water from the existing borehole located on the perimeter of the church.
