TRAMA MAGAZINE
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN MAGAZINE
HIGH-RISE ARCHITECTURE
No. 136
By: MarÃa Alicia Becdach, architect.
Location: Quito, Ecuador.
The 36-unit apartment building is residential in nature and is located in a prime area of the city due to its views and access to all kinds of services.
To the west, all apartments from the ground floor to the 10th floor offer panoramic views of the city, Pichincha volcano, and the Atahualpa Stadium. To the east, the northern part of the city and the Metropolitan Park are visible. To the south, the city center, El Panecillo hill, and Cotopaxi volcano are visible, and to the north, the city extends far beyond .
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With this visual background, the concept of architectural design is introduced, whereby the building takes a back seat, functioning as a "frame" that highlights the city scene and its natural surroundings during the day, afternoon and night with their respective changes of light.
A duality is present in its materiality and design, manifested in the glazed surfaces of the east and west facades to pay homage to the views. The front facade emphasizes horizontality and movement. The facade facing a semi-expressway road creates a concise impression through its austere array of materials and gestures. This facade incorporates a system of latticework that allows for spaces with the luminosity of floor-to-ceiling windows, while maintaining the privacy required by the function of these service areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
This contrasts with the exposed brick north-south facades, a material that exudes solidity and blends beautifully with the earthy colors of the Andes Mountains. These facades feature perforations reminiscent of Inca and colonial architecture, which boasts robust buttresses and chamfered windows, known as "dumping" in colonial buildings—a design choice intended to maximize natural light through the thick walls.
Exposed beams are formally maintained, which is used to create high ceilings, giving the feeling of "houses in the air" in the middle of the city.
The 36 apartments were designed to meet the needs of their users, and despite having such diverse layouts, cleanliness prevails in open-plan areas, maintaining a constant consistency in fixed points, servers, and uniformity in facades.