Architects: Subsecretaría de Obras de Arquitectura – Gobierno de la ciudad de Santa Fe
Area: 4780 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs: Federico Cairoli, Gobierno de la ciudad de Santa Fe
Manufacturers: Knauf, Raíces del Norte, Tensar Corporation
Design Team: Marcelo Pascualón, Lucas Condal, Martín González, Luciana Hurí Viñuela, Andrés Francesconi, Daniel Imhoff, Javier Barducco, Javier Espindola, Germán Müller, Felicita Cersofio, Julieta Zampedri, Federico Cairoli, Andrés Grau, Carlos Di Napoli, Erica Leyón
Engineering: Gustavo Perini
Acoustics Asesor: Estudio Basso
Restauration Asesor: Luciano Hernandez
Collaborators: Agustin Balma, Eugenia Petitte, Ezequiel Paira
Country: Argentina
The Marconetti Ex-Mill in Santa Fe, Argentina, a 1920s industrial building, has been refunctionalized by the Government of Santa Fe to house the Municipal High School. The project restores the original structure by removing past additions, preserving its industrial character, and introducing new spaces for academic use. Flexible areas with double and triple-height volumes were added in the central nave, while classrooms for music, dance, and arts are distributed across the building’s sectors. Circulation cores and halls provide views of the coastal landscape, and the grain silos were adapted to include functional school spaces, with perforated masonry allowing light and ventilation. Restoration focused on recovering brick walls and metal structures, maintaining the building’s historic texture. The intervention serves as a critical restoration that enhances the building’s heritage while integrating contemporary academic functions.
The building stands within the port area of Santa Fe, a part of the city that has experienced significant growth and development due to the absence of port-related railroad infrastructure. Constructed between 1920 and 1921, it serves as a notable example of the industrial architectural style characteristic of that period.
The project begins with the concept of treating the old mill as a container to be adapted in a balanced way, emphasizing the preservation of the original structure while integrating new programmatic uses to accommodate the academic activities of the schools within the Municipal High School.
The contemporary intervention is based on a thorough analysis of the building’s original plans and an in-depth assessment of its state of conservation. This approach proposes restoring the original structure by removing later additions from previous interventions to reveal and preserve the building’s initial volume.
Based on the varying degrees of conservation identified, the new interventions acknowledge the missing parts of the building without attempting to replicate them. On the building’s east facade, the outline of a former warehouse, previously demolished, is retained as a visible imprint, serving as a reminder of the construction phases and the building’s original structural elements.
Building on the existing structural design, the intervention introduces a sequence of flexible spaces that extend and overlap within the central nave. These spaces are configured to meet the specific surface needs of each area, resulting in volumes with double and triple heights that amplify the original spatial qualities of the structure.
The building is divided into three distinct sectors: the central nave, an intermediate section previously modified, and a third area defined by the grain storage silos. Following this configuration, classrooms are positioned along the vertical height of the nave, with each level dedicated to a specific school—covering programs in children’s aesthetics, music, visual arts, and dance. The intermediate sector contains the vertical circulation cores, including staircases, toilets, and hallways, which serve as elevated courtyards overlooking the coastal landscape. Meanwhile, the functional modules for each school are integrated into the silo section, aligning with the building’s original levels.
The material restoration of the building prioritizes the recovery of its enclosing walls, the refurbishment of the external facades, and the preservation of the original metallic framework. The intervention leaves the bricks exposed on both the exterior and interior surfaces, highlighting the building’s historic character and industrial heritage.
At the southern end, the silos’ outer walls are carefully perforated using masonry screens to introduce openings for natural light, ventilation, and views into the classrooms. This approach preserves the exterior texture and retains the original cylindrical form of the silos, maintaining their architectural integrity.
The refunctionalization of the Marconetti Ex-Mill is regarded as a significant restoration effort, assuming the responsibility of an intervention designed to enhance the cultural and architectural value of this heritage structure.
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Project Location
Address: Dique II, Port of the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Province of Santa Fe, Argentina
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
