“The architecture of housing is some kind of repetitive housing, and so should be treated, otherwise, it would distort reality. Unity produced by repetition of well-designed dwellings cause no impression of monotony and lack of creativity but, on the contrary, rythm and harmony on which every urban fabric is based. So, one of the defining qualities of urban architecture is certain neutrality and qualities of generalization and repetition.
The site was really difficult to solve, 20 meters front by 60 deep, with the advantage, however, of its rear edge looming the Botanical Garden. I had many doubts; the sense of social prestige was always linked to the so-called exterior apartments, and I wondered if interior apartments facing the Garden, but not the main street, could be undervalued despite its southern orientation.
Another problem was the treatment of the main entrance, as people had to reach a staircase 40 meters far away from street. Dark corridors should be avoided. Great hallway, or zaguan, was designed in order to achieve it by a pleasant connection of of public spaces.”
The site was really difficult to solve, 20 meters front by 60 deep, with the advantage, however, of its rear edge looming the Botanical Garden. I had many doubts; the sense of social prestige was always linked to the so-called exterior apartments, and I wondered if interior apartments facing the Garden, but not the main street, could be undervalued despite its southern orientation.
Another problem was the treatment of the main entrance, as people had to reach a staircase 40 meters far away from street. Dark corridors should be avoided. Great hallway, or zaguan, was designed in order to achieve it by a pleasant connection of of public spaces.”
“La arquitectura de viviendas, por su propia naturaleza, es arquitectura repetitiva y así debe ser tratada, ya que otra cosa sería falsear la realidad. La unidad que se produce por repetición de tipologías bien resueltas no causa impresión de monotonía y falta de creatividad sino, por el contrario, un ritmo y armonía en los que se fundamentan todos los grandes conjuntos urbanos; por eso una de las cualidades más definitorias de la arquitectura urbana es cierta neutralidad, unida a la posesión de cualidades susceptibles de generalización y repetición.
El solar era difícil, 20 metros de fachada por más de 60 de fondo, con la gran ventaja, sin embargo, de que el lindero del fondo se asomaba al Jardín Botánico. Tuve muchas dudas; el sentido de prestigio social ligado siempre a los llamados pisos exteriores me hacía temer que las viviendas con fachada al Botánico, a pesar de su orientación a sur y de sus excelentes vistas, quedaran desvalorizados por no dar a la calle.
Otro problema era el tratamiento del portal, ya que había que llegar hasta una escalera situada a más de 40 mts. de la calle. Había que evitar esos recorridos tenebrosos de algunas casas que venía a mi recuerdo con horror. para evitarlo se creó como un amplio anteportal o zaguán, desde el que se accede a dos portales; con ellos, lo que podría haber sido una desventaja se transformó en un agradable juego de espacios.”
Julio Cano Lasso
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