this beach restaurant was built by Antoni Bonet in the 50's.
A Catalan architect exiled in Argentina and Uruguay designer of the famous "Buterfly" chair.
He used brick vaults in many of his houses, and introduced Dieste to these.

How to get there: After visiting the Atlantida church, continue east on the same coastal highway, untill you reach Solanas (big signs everywere, and a terrible resort on the highway), turn right towards the beach, and follow the sinuous roads of this urbanisation also designed by him. Just two blocks and you reach the beach and the restaurant.

on this end, the volume has double height with a rooftop terrace.
This double height space has a great fireplace volume almost suspended from the ceiling, and tall plants inside.

A closer view of the entrance courtyard. Notice the cantilevered steps that lead to the roof terace. This stone volume houses the services.

A view from the beach. The building is partialy covered in one end by a giant dune, so you can access the roof directly.
The second floor has steps down to the beach.

here a view from aproaching the other corner...

here a view of the roof terace. look the detail of the two chimneys, very "Catalanas", covered with ceramics...

A view down to the second level terrace and the stairs to the beach...

Now lets go inside. The second level has a lounge with all the original furniture designed by him. Notice the wooden floor...

Another view...

A view of the fireplace inside. It is actualy two fireplaces, one on the uper level. It is almost suspended, just conceiling two pilars.

Another view from the stairs, between the pair of concrete pilars, (one pair on each side of the room) that suport this end of the roof.

And of course, the kmz... (low res, sorry) hope you liked it!

A closer view of one of the chimneys. to the far right you notice "Punta Ballena" and the white building is "Casapueblo" by Paez Vilaró, mentioned in another thread...

A more detailed view of the stone patern.

You're building up a database on uruguayan architecture! Cool. I didn't know anything about this project and it actually is really good.
Thank you Marcelo!

Loved the way it is embedded in the dune.
A section of how the interior space connects the dune to the beach would be nice
...even your sketch will do, Marcelo, am I asking too much?
The building is so lively. I can see people enjoying every bit of the beach through this building;
things like slope, views, getting warmed by fireside after swimming, going up and down the stair (if you don't fall).
When these things are achieved by such a simple volume, I would say that is a great architecture. :craqueur:

Did you actually go up (or down) that cantilevered steps yourself? I don’t see handrails, am I correct? :eek:

no I wouldn't dare use those steps! I think the handrail must have rusted and was removed. Those white cubic flower vases are there to prevent anyone from atemping to go up there!
The wood steps are also in bad condition...

The interior space on the second level (picture with the furniture) has the big windows that open to the exterior space in picture N 7. This small terace with stone floor sits on the dune, covered with grass to make it more stable.

BTW notice he planted Australian "Eucalipto" trees in all this development, as well as "maritime pines" (those are the names we use here).
originaly all this landscape was dunes and rocks, so they planted trees to make dunes stable.

Also Known as Antonio Bonet Castellana.
Excellent work. Apparently he worked with Le Corbusier. His BKF chair is well known, done with J. Ferrari-Hardoy y J. Kurchan, in Argentina's Grupo Austral.

references:
http://www.actar.es/html/bonetcastellana.htm
http://www.actar.es/095.html
http://www.naoslibros.es/fichalibro.php?isbn=84-8301-288-X
http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/b/bonet_castellana.htm
http://www.coac.net/internacional/difusio/exhibicions_realitzades/realitzades_caste_w.htm
http://www.casadellibro.com/fichas/fichabiblio/0,1094,2900000656777,00.html

About Torre Urquinaona:
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=112043

About La Floresta Church:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/South_America/Uruguay/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Uruguay-BR-1.html
Floresta photo from Gandara's Uruguay travel page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f28d/917/

Well, this church was among my "to do" list, could well be my next visit! ...stay tuned...:D
Gracias compadre! thanks Franjayo!

MADE IT TO THE CHURCH, HERE (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2195)

BTW I don't whant to start the "Church freaks" thread eh!!

This church is actualy located in Soca , a small humble town about 15 km north from the Cristo Obrero church... All these buildings almost on the same route.

Been there today again, and here a few interior details.
Here a corner with his typical Buterfly chair. Look the floor and wall patern of raw granite slabs.

Here a detail of the way the wood floor meets the concrete pilars. I love this detail...

Here another view of the access to the roof

and how well do you eat there? :cheers:

This church is actualy located in Soca , a small humble town about 15 km north from the Cristo Obrero church... All these buildings almost on the same route.
Heard that this building (Soca church) is not church anymore but converted to some kind of storage . You might not be able to go in if you go there...

Here a detail of the way the wood floor meets the concrete pilars. I love this detail...
I see something intriguing happening but cannot see it clearly because of the dark shadow casting over, can you post a better close-up view of this detail?

Here a closer view Takeshi, sorry for the lousy camera, I promise to get a new one soon!

It is a pity if that is true about the church. The church had to sell many of its properties due to lack of funds. The worst is a seminar in Toledo by Mario Paysee, transformed into a military base! completly imposible to get in!
It had a wonderfull wall of bricks, and inscriptions like "Lord, make me an istrument of your PEACE!" I asume the army dinamited this ... :bang head

Here a very interesting terrace building in Mar del Plata, 1957

and in this link, agroup of houses in Martinez , buenos Aires
http://www.biblioteca.fapyd.unr.edu.ar/model/archivo-digital/indice/bonet_conj_viviendas.htm

And La Rinconada Hose also in Punta Ballena, (like the restaurant) 1948

http://www.biblioteca.fapyd.unr.edu.ar/model/archivo-digital/indice/bonet_larinconada.htm

Hey, hey, Marcelo- Don't get carried away.
shouldn't you be creating a separate thread for Antoni Bonet? :wondering

Hey, hey, Marcelo- Don't get carried away.
shouldn't you be creating a separate thread for Antoni Bonet? :wondering
I know Ironman, I know! just wanted to place some examples of his work... if I get more images I split it into another thread... promise!

Sometimes...a veces, se vive mucho en recuerdo.... del movimiento moderno!

http://swiss-architects.com/db/imgportr/d/deluganmeissl_w2.jpg

http://www.deluganmeissl.at/home.php

here the plans...

... and elevations

from : http://www.datarq.fadu.uba.ar/datarq/obras/homepage.html

an impresive list of plans and even some cads of famous buildings... though I couldn't open them... in .exe?

:cool: :rock on: :clap: Holy cow! that's amazing-Zamazing site with tons of DXF!
Never seen anything like this!
Hurry, Marcelo, Hurry! post it to "architectural website"!!!!!! :craqueur:
:cheers: :not worth :craqueur:

Hey Marcelo,

Brazilian architect and critic Roberto Segre published an article this week about the Solanas Restaurant. In it, he says the owner is planning to demolish the restaurant to build his private beach house! :eek: :eek: :eek:
Do you know something about it? :wondering

ARTICLE (http://www.vitruvius.com.br/minhacidade/mc156/mc156.asp)(in portuguese)

Wow thanks, I just wrote him about this thread, as he says he used to spend his sumers here when he was a kid ...
I will find out about that, but I am almost sure it is a protected building... :wondering

here a section I took from the article mentioned by digdoi above...

a more detailed plan of the roof terace

a view of the interior in the 50's. Watch the original ceiling was now covered with gipsum panels, and the roof plants were removed.
I guess it had serious leaks so they removed all the plants from above and covered the ceiling...

Trying to find it in my books I realised it's actually a petit hotel with 3 rooms in the upper floor. Does it currently work as one?

a view from outside. So many trees have been removed since then!

upper level... you can see it had 5 rooms for guests.

and lower level. I'm not sure about that cacapis, it is now part of a vacation complex that rent small houses...

As you said digdoi, this incredible building is threatened of dissapear.
The new owner wants to sell it, and the potencial buyer(an argentinian), aparentelly doesn´t undestand, know, or care about the value of this incredible buiding (as well as the actual owner), and wants to demolishing it in order to build his new beach house.
The worst thing of all is that believe it or not, our goverment never declared it as national patrimony, :bang head ..... so the Municipality of Maldonado is trying to stop the sale.
All the latin architect unions are looking desperately for join their voices to demand the protection of this astonishly building.

And by the way, I had read Serge´s article and it´s really interesting the information he gaves, and the homage he made for Antoni Gaudi. :clap:

There´s also a great article abut this situation of Solana del Mar written by Luis J. Grossman in La Nacion. This is the link: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/786795

Regards.


Hey Marcelo,

Brazilian architect and critic Roberto Segre published an article this week about the Solanas Restaurant. In it, he says the owner is planning to demolish the restaurant to build his private beach house! :eek: :eek: :eek:
Do you know something about it? :wondering

ARTICLE (http://www.vitruvius.com.br/minhacidade/mc156/mc156.asp)(in portuguese)

Hey ranchoaparte! welcome to the forum, a fellow Uruguayan!!
I already wrote two members of the patrimony comitee, it is incredible that the Soca and Atlantida church are not protected either!
They only cared about old colonial or pseudo colonial buildings, with only historical value but no architectural one... :bang head

It has also been published in all architecture websites arround here..
www.arqa.com
www.todoarquitectura.com
etc

Hi guys...... amazing building and amazing architect !!!!!
Who is the mad man who wants to caterpillarazing (demolish) that architectural masterpiece ??? :mad:

If you're to split this thread please don't forget the Oks' House in Martinez :not worth

http://www.datarq.fadu.uba.ar/datarq/obras/book/homepage.html

:rock on:

well guys, FORTUNATELY this building has been saved!! The national comision of cultural heritage managed to protect it.
In fact, it is located in a "Non edificandi" area, so any modification needs previous permision from the government, wich has in fact denied any modification of use!

That's good news, but what happens now?

That's good news, but what happens now?
Well, it continues to be a restaurant, and no modifications can be made to it.
As you can see, it is well preserved...

Since a law of 1945, the coast is public domain and private properties cannot be built 150mts away from the highest tide.
The proposal to make it a private house would have given the owner a big privilege, and added great value to the house...

well guys, FORTUNATELY this building has been saved!! The national comision of cultural heritage managed to protect it.
In fact, it is located in a "Non edificandi" area, so any modification needs previous permision from the government, wich has in fact denied any modification of use!

Very nice!
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

You are the man Fabio! you sent me the article, I re-sent it to one of the comision members...
Other websites transimited the news too, but the fact is mails were coming in from all over Latin AMERICA and Spain, the comision was flooded!!!

Thank you Favio!

Well, it continues to be a restaurant, and no modifications can be made to it.
As you can see, it is well preserved...

Since a law of 1945, the coast is public domain and private properties cannot be built 150mts away from the highest tide.
The proposal to make it a private house would have given the owner a big privilege, and added great value to the house...

I don´t know if it's that simple, after all you can´t oblige the owner to keep the restaurant running, and a building without being used gets detriorated very quickly. So please don´t let this just pass on.