Inverted Landmarks Rehabilitating San Juan’s vacant structures though the formalization of the contextual vernacular.
Ismael Segarra
The project site is Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, the historic district within the island’s capital. Established in 1521 as a Spanish settlement, it is the oldest remaining settlement on the island. Old san Juan is an important touristic location, receiving about 4 million tourists a year. It’s a prime location for sightseeing and promenade. It is characterized by its bright, pastel colored facades, narrow cobblestone streets and Spanish colonial inspired architecture. Most buildings apart from important institutions and landmarks stay within a similar range of height. Ceiling heights are very tall, ranging from anywhere between 12-20 ft. Interior courtyards are also characterize the porosity of the city’s urban fabric. The urban image could be described as picture-esque or painterly.
What’s the situation: Ever-growing Vacant and dilapidated in buildings in old San Juan, PR detract from the overall image of the city. As a major tourism-sightseeing destination, this is very detrimental both aesthetic and safety-wise. Strict building code and historic preservation regulations make it difficult to both renovate and maintain these structures, especially if they lack a programmatic purpose. As a result, many have remained in a state of deterioration for what is decades now, with no foreseeable change in sight.
Preservation According to the State office of Historic Preservation, there cannot be any alterations to the original facadeof the structures of Old San Juan. This includes color and ornamental details. Any restoration should aproximate the original building image as best as possible in order to receive sort of construction permission. Any new exterior addition to any building must have a ten foot setback from the existing facade as to clearly differentiate the original structure and new additions.
Inverted Landmark The inverted landmark is not merely meant to be read as a prominent object or site within the context. It apart from and object, it strives to be a spatial experience, embedded within the existing fabric. The inverted landmark seeks to generate new architectural forms by spatializing elements of the existing architectural and urban surrounding in new ways.
meant to be hin the context. e a spatial ting fabric. The new architecthe existing n new ways.
Inverted Landmarks doesn’t argue for a formal technique, but rather. It argues for an attitude towards generating new architectural formal expression in a historic city by utilizing contextual elements. It is a critique on the strict building code of historic cities like Old San Juan. while there is value in preservation of history it is a bit exaggerated to have such strict preservation rules for buildings without a greater historical significance. It also argues for the new landmark as a spatial experience and not merely an object in the landscape.
Site 1 Facade studies
Site 1 Existing condition
Archway combination studies
Site 1 Proposal without facade
Eroded Columns studies
Site 1 Proposal cutaway
Site 1 Proposal
Formal projection diagram
Site 2 Existing condition
Site2 Proposal without facade
Formal development diagrams
Site 2 Proposal cutaway
Site 2 Proposal
Formal development diagrams
Facade studies
Site 3 Existing Condition
Formal development
Site 3 Proposal without facade
Site 3 Proposal cutaway
Diagrams of courtyard erosion
Site 3Proposal
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