This project is an oceanfront residential complex located in the exclusive beach of Manantiales in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The design consists of four stepped volumes with heights ranging from three to six levels, articulated by planted courtyards and tied together by horizontal concrete bands. This strategy allows the building to adapt its height to the scale of the neighboring houses and to avoid the visual impact of a massive single volume. 

 

Conditioned by the irregular figure of the elongated lot, the project was developed in 21 different floor plan typologies. The complex accommodates 46 ocean view units that range from 2000 to 5400 square feet (185 to 500 square meters). Each unit has a private landing. The building also includes a fitness center, a spa, an indoor swimming pool and an underground garage. The long shape of the construction protects the outdoor swimming pool, the pool house and the lounge areas from the prevailing ocean winds. To provide privacy, a 10-foot (3-meter) high earth berm was placed along the property line as part of the landscape design. Through spacious terraces facing the ocean, the rear elevation opens to the most exceptional views. 

 

The structure was built with reinforced concrete. Low maintenance materials were chosen for the exterior finishes: exposed concrete, hardwood boards and local fieldstone. On the inside, the walls were finished with plaster, and the floors, with polished concrete.  

 

Punta del Este hosts some of the most iconic mid-century buildings in South America. Antonio Bonet, Mario Paysee-Reyes and Gómez Platero/López Rey, between other architects, have left an indelible mark on the history of modern architecture in the region. As a tribute to that tradition, this building makes reference to the horizontal lines of “La Solana del Mar” (Antonio Bonet, 1948) and to the use of exposed concrete, wood and local fieldstone of “Edificio Puerto” (Gómez Platero/López Rey, 1959).