The structural design of García Pardo’s residential buildings in Punta del Este

Abstract:

The work of architect Luis García Pardo is diverse and prolific. This paper seeks to identify the structural
strategies developed for the design of his four collective housing buildings developed in Punta del Este, Uruguay,
establishing their relationship with spatial design. To this end, a comprehensive literature review of the works
was conducted, site visits were made, archival information was compiled and analyzed, and interpretive
structural models have been prepared based on the available material. The structural design of these buildings
is particularly creative, offering a variety of solutions to a classic problem in modern architecture: the design
of floating volumes. Three strategies have been identified to achieve this goal: slabs, beams, and columns
framework design?; systems based on linked-screen wall systems; and cantilevered platforms projecting from
cores. The formal identity of these buildings stems directly from their structural design. The boldness of these
structures has led to the need for subsequent interventions to ensure adequate service conditions. Recovering
knowledge about their design and construction processes is essential to assess their legacy, maintain them,
repair them, and extend their useful lives.

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