ODB Arquitectos has completed the Guácaras Food and Drinks Park in Santa Ana de los Guácaras, Corrientes, Argentina.

The project is located in the small town of Santa Ana de los Guácaras, near the provincial capital of Corrientes. Small-scale agriculture was the main source of productivity in the region in the past. However, land use has changed over the last thirty years, especially along the RPN°43, which runs from Santa Ana to the capital.

For this reason, rural land is being subdivided and low-density residential areas are being created. The increasing spatial fragmentation caused by these urban-rural transformations has led to the disruption of rural roads that previously provided unhindered access to scenic areas and water bodies. Public spaces have suffered from the increase in privatized spaces.

The private commission took advantage of the opportunity presented by some architectural efforts to enhance urban and public space, in this case aiming at the ‘urbanization of the private’.

Inspired by the vision of architect Manuel de Solà-Morales, the project focused on the development of private spaces for gatherings, leisure and recreation, with the intention of integrating them into the urban fabric and making them an active element of public life.

By promoting physical and sensory connectivity, the architectural strategy blurs the boundaries between public and private space, facilitating pedestrian flow and urban integration.

The project site is a triangular plot without vegetation in a predominantly residential area. It is located at the entrance to the city center of Santa Ana, at the intersection of RPN°43 and Avenida del Timbó.

The task was to create a food truck park with various culinary ideas and all the necessary facilities and services for the guests.

Some pre-existing conditions, such as the visible and physical pathways that crossed the property, also had to be addressed as part of the project. Neighbors used the property as a pedestrian crossing and cars used it as a “large bevel” at a dangerously angled intersection.

The project is designed as an open plaza, which will house food stalls and commercial services, facilitating pedestrian passage and visual continuity for vehicles, while at the same time inviting people to linger and meet people.

A large, stretched wooden pergola, supported by rails taken from the historic railway, defines the gathering space and provides shade to protect against intense sunlight in a site without natural shade.

Site plan

Floor plan

Roof plan

elevation

Section

Section

Project data

Project name: Guácaras Food & Drink Park
Architects: ODB Architects
Mechanical engineering: Ing. José Luis Mancuso
Landscaping: ODB Architects
Lighting: The Lucia
Contributors: bow. Alvaro Di Bernardo, Arch. Mauricio Ortiz, Arch. Sofía Ronchi, Arch. María Emilia Cadenas.
Surface: 80 m2 (covered), 370 m2 (semi-covered)
Location: Santa Ana de los Guacaras, Corrientes, Argentina.
Year: 2022

All images © Ramiro Sosa.

All drawings © ODB Architects.

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