Ampliación Universidad Torcuato Di Tella

Torcuato Di Tella University is undergoing a phased development of its educational campus. This process began in 2011 with the conversion and refurbishment of the disused logistics building belonging to the company Obras Sanitarias. An industrial space that had fallen into disuse was revitalised into a building dedicated to knowledge. The project by RDR Arquitectos recovers the characteristic concrete structure of the existing building and enriches it through volumetric and chromatic operations.
After successive interventions and the construction of new buildings within the complex, a new short-term intermediate stage is planned for 2023 to meet the immediate need for new classrooms and administrative areas.
Taking the premises of the first intervention in the building on Av. Figueroa Alcorta, the conversion of an existing concrete porticoed warehouse that only functioned as a semi-covered car park is proposed. A staircase and lift under the roof are recovered and this area is defined as a distribution hall for a new programme on each side of the space. The perimeter is enclosed with large carpentry elements that extend the existing system. Inside this new space, the available height of the existing structure is utilised and a metal mezzanine floor is built, connected to it. On the lower level, a single and double-height space is designed with open-plan work areas, private offices, meeting rooms and a cafeteria. On the upper level, three classrooms complete the design.
In the classrooms, the panels between the existing ceiling beams are opened up and a new, asymmetrical, sloping roof is raised in search of light. This metal and glass object rests on and intertwines with the concrete roof. Three spaces permeable to light are created, exposing the pre-existing elements to make them present, a succession of beams that float in space and incorporate night lighting.
The palette of finishes ranges from white walls, natural wood cladding and variations of green that dot the spaces and articulate the accesses. An open and functional space in a disused structure. The existing area is doubled to 600m2 through operations that allow a precise reading of the relationship between the new and the existing. The characteristic geometry of the structure is highlighted, accompanying its rhythm and variations in pursuit of a new need.