Bicentennial Civic Center Argentina by GGMPU Architects

The Bicentennial Civic Center is the new administrative complex in Cordoba jointly designed by Argentine practices GGMPU and Luca Morini. It is going to be located on the edge of the historic city center of Cordoba, on the side of Suquia river with the aim of becoming the new city center. The city is primarily known for the University of Cordoba, the oldest one in Argentina, and for the Jesuit Block, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the new architectural complex has the intent to bring brand-new energies and a focus on the civic activities inside the community.

The Civic Center is composed by two buildings and the connection with the historic city centre is provided by two bridges, crossing the adjacent river. The first building with a faceted-prism shape is a medium-rise structure made of concrete which houses ministries. The prism building is able to make a 20 degrees rotation, generating a complex morphology of triangles, an interplay of lights and shadows, that are able to make it even more unique.

The second building, housing the administrative functions, continues to use the same architectural language of the first structure with smaller scaled rhomboids located along its horizontal volume. On the top surface is placed a garden roof with grass in order to mitigate the temperature of the building in the different seasons. The governor's house is  located on top of this plane and it consists of a single freestanding object with mirror-clad faces.

The project is in development and the next phase concerns the completion of the  administrative area and the construction of the convention center.