Baburizza
Baburizza Building
The Baburizza building began to be built in 1953. Strategically located in front of the coast on the slope of the hill, it stands as a housing complex in the midst of the historical process of promoting the Viña del Mar resort, marked by the foundation of Caleta Abarca. It is a relatively low building, it has seven floors that, due to its rectangular logic and attached to the slope of the hill, makes it gain stature and predominance in its geographical environment. Its two blocks converge to be part of an integral whole.
The Baburizza building is located at the end of Arrieta street, at an edge of Castillo hill oriented towards the north-west. This allows the building to be positioned facing the Pacific Ocean, generating a balcony facade facing the sea. On the other hand, to the east, the building moves away from the social and neighborhood environment, as it has a large parking lot, which is also used for social activities by its residents.
Specifications
- TYPE
Residential
- ARCHITECT
Luis Mitrovic
- BUILDER
Eugenio Brown V.
Alberto Covarrubias Z.
- DATE
1953
The design assumed by the building, made up of two blocks, stands out in the landscape in which its terraced gardens gradually assume the slope. Its structure can be seen from Avenida Marina and coming from Valparaíso. Its facade is enhanced with large glazed surfaces, which allow it to deliver a balcony thickness to the west face. Although it is a unitary architecture, the two blocks are difficult to comprehend, because they suggest different analytical lines from the point of view, as well as in terms of their fit within the environment where it is erected. Its simple geometry and pure forms make the Baburizza building a pristine display of 1950s avant-garde architectural mastery.
In its relationship with the environment, the Baburizza building, from an aesthetic point of view, seeks to make its terraces and balconies converge towards the sea as an integrated part of the seaside resort. On the other hand, from an internal panopticon, it establishes an austere bet regarding its residential purpose.
In its internal organization, it offers valuable lighting spaces. Stairs with a single section, eliminating the sensation of emptiness characteristic of the both directions transit places. These end in perfect squares, alluding to the geometric style present in its rectangular exterior facade. The relationship between interior and exterior allows the geometric bet, simple and flat, to be the building’s language.
In decorative terms, the Baburizza is austere in character. Simple finishing touches predominate, allowing a greater aesthetic enjoyment of the abstract feel it proposes. The brown marble floor alternated with dark tones on the first level coexists with bluish mosaics on the higher floors. Characteristic of this type of architecture is the use of bronze in hardware, handles, handrails and various details in the elevators. Finally, on the stair railings, an aesthetically incorporated beveled glass stands out, whose geometric shape and transparency adapt to the atmosphere of each level.
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