Urban poverty is often perpetuated because it exists on the margins of cities – either geographically or within popular consciousness. But architecture and urban design have the potential to redistribute resources and draw attention to neglected zones. This new city hall and civic center for Mar del Plata aims to address this by situating the building within one of the city’s poorest areas.

Conceived with flexible, mixed-use programming in mind, the project comprises a four-hectare park and approximately 8,000 m2 of office, commercial, and civic space. By transplanting public facilities into an underserved community and providing incentives for a diverse population to use the programs and amenities offered, the project seeks to catalyze a more egalitarian future for the city.

Status: ongoing

Location: Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Design: work completed while at Urban-Think Tank & The U-TT Chair ETH Zurich, Project Architects