Flora Manteola, Javier Sánchez Gómez, Josefina Santos, Justo Solsona, and Rafael Viñoly constituted one of the most significant firms to practice architecture in Argentina beginning in the late 1960s. Santos and Solsona created the original studio upon their graduation in 1956. Ignacio Perchersky later became an associate in 1962 and remained until his death in 1972, while Rafael Viñoly was an associate from 1966 until 1981, when he moved to the United States.

During the 1960s, the firm began exploring the potential of architectural renovation. Exemplary of this exploration is their Headquarters of the Bank of Buenos Aires (1968). Converted from an existing department store, it retains its primary metal structure and expresses its original academic, tripartite facade. The scheme yields an interior volume unified by an envelope of amber glass brick. It quickly gained international recognition for its transparent use of light and color and its strong volumetric articulation. The building subsequently became a prototype for the development of the institution's additional facilities. Two branch banks, in Retiro and Patricios, both in Buenos Aires and from the early 1970s, are of remarkable quality. There, the use of structural glass slabs results in translucent horizontal planes and evocative poetic forms.

In the late 1970s, the group received several major commissions. Among them, the Football (soccer) Stadium in Mendoza (1978) carefully utilizes the natural topography to create the stadium's principal volume. Context is also of critical concern in the group's most acclaimed work, the competition for ATC—Argentina Televisora Color (Argentine Color TV, 1978). In preparation for the Soccer World Cup of 1978, the design, construction, and occupancy took only 18 months and constituted a new typology for the country. The design resolution was achieved by sinking a large boxlike form into the landscape to continue the scale of the surrounding area. Four cubes that house the television studios emerge from this large platform. Its perforated ceiling accommodates existing trees and provides illumination. The intent is to convey a factory of images and information. The large, one-story rooftop offers opportunities for public events and provides a whimsical playground that integrates an artificial landscape into the park, adding a river, lake, and ceremonial colonnaded entry.

This firm has also contributed significantly to the design of large-scale urban residential complexes. Among them are the Rioja complex (1973) in Parque Patricios, Buenos Aires, and the Piedrabuena complex (1974), designed in association with the firm of Aslan and Ezcurra. This project combined apartments with two commercial centers, a sports center, two elementary schools, and a high school. Semicircular green spaces are organized to accommodate the facilities and provide ample space for large-scale dwelling complexes.

The Aluar Housing Project (1975) presented several constructional and logistical problems. It is located in a remote semi-arid desert, Puerto Madryn, in the province of Chubut, near the Aluar aluminum factory. The climate is harsh, dry, and subjected to constant wind. The site, however, descends toward the Atlantic Ocean, allowing for qualitative views. The program consisted of housing for the families of 800 factory workers, a primary school, a commercial center, and administrative facilities. Because of the region's severe climate, the project utilized prefabricated components to expedite construction. Parallel building units are arranged in four groups to create an in-between street offering spaces protected from the harsh weather. The west wall has limited small openings to minimize the wind, whereas the east side has several entrances facing the ocean.

The firm has also produced a series of significant skyscrapers that are recognized for their formal and volumetric quality. Among them is the headquarters for the Unión Industrial Argentina (Argentine Industrial Association, 1976). It is located in the north quadrant of the city's historic district, known as Catalinas Norte. The 28-story office tower is a pure glass prism that offers vistas of the river. The lower level houses the auditorium and support facilities, and all service areas are expressed in well-crafted concrete. This building carefully articulates function and materials and displays a high modernist tradition through the use of the curtain wall.

The CASFPI Tower (1981) in Buenos Aires refers to Amancio Williams's use of the tower as an isolated structure, yet it is located within a traditional lot of the original Spanish grid. The CASFPI Tower is linked to the urban fabric through a transparent arcade that reveals a rhythmic facade interrupted by solids and voids. The Prourban Tower (1983) is located along one of the principal access points to the city center. Its pure cylindrical shape, concrete structure, and use of glass and anodized aluminum create a feature unique to its urban context. The twin towers of the Alto Palermo Plaza (1997) are constructed in a residential area of Palermo. The project was executed in association with the team of Urgell, Fazio, Penedo, Salaberry, McCormack, and Minond and is considered to represent the best tradition of design and building in Argentina. The complex won recognition as a significant landmark in the city. The unique spatial effects of the interior and the buildings' iconography offer a structure that is logical, spacious, and poetic.

The firm of Manteola, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, and Viñoly is characterized by professional excellence, a substantial body of respected work, and a varied typological language. Their changing vocabulary can be referenced to modernists such as Pierre Chareau, Le Corbusier, Tendenza, and James Stirling.

Internationally, their reputation began in the early 1970s through a series of glass-brick bank buildings and was reinforced later that decade by the ATC building.

Although the group's work is often seen as eclectic, their designs may be characterized by attention to program, spatial organization, and structural logic. Rather than striving for individual uniqueness, each building explores a significant archetype and develops an architectural theme.

JOSE BERNARDE

Sennott R.S. Encyclopedia of twentieth century architecture, Vol.2 (G-O). Fitzroy Dearborn., 2005.  

Rafael Viñoly

1944 Born in Argentina.

1964 Founding member, Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Buenos Aires.

1981 Left the firm.

Flora Manteola

1936 Born in Argentina.

1964 Founding member, Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Buenos Aires.

1964 Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Buenos Aires.

1964 Member, College of Judges of the Central Society of Architects, Buenos Aires.

Javier Sánchez Gómez

1936 Born in Argentina.

1964 Founding member, Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Buenos Aires.

1964 Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Buenos Aires.

1964 Member, College of Judges of the Central Society of Architects, Buenos Aires.

Justo Jorge Solsona

1931 Born in Argentina.

1964 Founding member, Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Buenos Aires.

1964 Member, College of Judges of the Central Society of Architects, Buenos Aires.

1992 Member, Technical Qualifying Commission for the Olympic Games, Barcelona.

1992 Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Buenos Aires; guest professor, École Polytechnique de Lausanne.

Josefina Santos

1931 Born in Argentina.

1964 Founding member, Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Buenos Aires.

1964 Member, College of Judges of the Central Society of Architects, Buenos Aires.

1964 Member and advisor, Professional Council of Architecture and Urbanism, Buenos Aires.

Firm

1964 Partnership established in Buenos Aires as Manteola, Petchersky, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly.

1971 Partner Ignacio Petchersky died, and the firm became Manteola, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly.

1980 Partner Rafael Viñoly left the firm.

1980 Carlos Sallaberry joined the partnership.

Further Reading

Glusberg provides the most comprehensive survey of this studio's production from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. The book situates architectural production within the social and cultural context of the country. The Gandelsonas article is a critical review of the Head Office of the Banco de Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

"Review of the housing complex for 750 families for the industrial plant in Puerto Madryn," Dams 178/588

Gandelsonas, Mario, Banco de Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina: Head Office, 1968, Linen Branch, 1969, Retiro Branch, 1970, edited and photographed by Yukio Futagawa, Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita, 1984

Glusberg, Jorge, Breve historia de la arquitectura Argentina ,2 vols., Buenos Aires: Editorial Claridad, 1991

"Review of Buenos Aires Color TV Production Center, Private Homes, and CASEPI Office Tower," GA Document 10 (May 1984)

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