Entretejidos Urbanos

Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Tucumán

Project idea

Among Urban Fabrics emerges as a response to an overlooked interstitial space within the urban fabric: a residual territory caught between railway tracks and a rigid grid, which over time has constrained its development and integration. This fragment of the city, once linked to a strong railway identity, has gradually lost visibility amid disordered commercial growth and an urban infrastructure that no longer meets the real needs of the neighborhood. As such, it presents itself both as a physical barrier and as a latent opportunity for reconnection.

Inspired by the principles of Jane Jacobs—who championed a city shaped by everyday life, mixed uses, and the active appropriation of public space—the project seeks to reframe this urban void, transforming it into a living, active, and meaningful fabric. The goal is not to impose empty green spaces, but to create public environments that can be inhabited, felt, and appropriated by those who move through them.

Through the design of a network of spatial and social connections—where housing, community, and heritage are interwoven—the proposal promotes social diversity and a sense of belonging, countering segregation and the urban voids that foster insecurity. In this way, the corridor becomes more than just a physical link: it is conceived as a symbolic and social structure capable of activating the neighborhood through walking, encounters, and shared memory.

Project description

This urban-architectural project proposes the development of a green urban corridor along a stretch of abandoned railway tracks. Acting as a “green seam,” the corridor revitalizes a previously degraded area, reconnecting fragmented parts of the city through new public spaces and activity hubs.
Along the corridor, we designed four public squares with specific functions: two dedicated to childhood and play (children’s square), one functioning as a fairground plaza for vendors (market square), and one for recreational and fitness activities (sport’s square)
To further activate the space and attract a diverse range of users, three activity nodes are strategically located along the corridor:
* In the north, a gastronomic node offers food and dining experiences;
* In the center, a cultural node acts as a space for exhibitions and events;
* In the south, a sports node provides facilities for outdoor exercise and community sports.
The cultural node, situated in a historically significant area of the city known as El Bajo, serves as the main focal point of the project. From this key location—an important gateway to the city and a transition point toward the historic downtown—we propose an architectural intervention that includes a commercial promenade, a cultural center, and a museum. This complex not only consolidates the corridor’s cultural identity but also reinforces its role as a generator of urban regeneration and social integration.

Technical information

The main building developed for the cultural center is conceived as a cube nestled among the trees, integrating subtly into its surroundings while always preserving the sense of a park.

To minimize the impact on the landscape, the design proposes a massive concrete structure as the only element in direct contact with the ground. This structure consists of four large-scale hollow columns and a system of intersecting concrete beams that form a robust and self-supporting base.

From this structural foundation, the lighter intermediate floors are suspended. These levels traverse the interior space with an open and fluid logic, allowing the landscape to continue flowing through the project.

Above the main structure, the upper levels are built in metal, reinforcing the concept of lightness and contrast with the solid stone-like base. In this way, the building seeks to blend into the environment without dominating it, maintaining the continuous presence of the park.

Attached to the main volume is a slender concrete tower that contrasts with the cubic building and connects to it through elevated walkways at various levels. Additionally, a subtle pedestrian bridge links the street to the cultural center complex, integrating the entire system into the urban fabric.

Documentation

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