Ponce de Leon 1431

​​An abandoned 7 story reinforced concrete building in the center of Santurce was the setting for the design intervention. It is located on #1431 Ponce de León Avenue adjoining at the Eastern dividing wall with an apartment building. (An office building today)… The strategy was threefold. First, to retain the existing architecture; second, to build a structure that allows a link between interior and exterior spaces, and finally to maximize the rentable space for medical practice offices and outfit the building with modern technology. The intervention proposes relocating the main entrance creating a spatial void between the first two level. Access to the building occurs through a concrete L-shaped wing that reduces the scale of the structure to pedestrians and also anticipates the arrival to the building vestibule. The initial, with an exposed concrete wall with a slight inclination, vestibule leads to a secondary vestibule where the elevators are located. A secondary visual sequence is established with a sculptural staircase that leads through the double height of the atrium to a public space. A granite platform receives visitors allowing them access to the interior patio, the grounding element of the building. The structural interventions have been limited to the closing of the posterior patio, originally in a U shape, converting it to the central patio from the access platform from the sculptural staircase. An electronic billboard was installed outside the meeting room volume on the top level and finally a concrete piece in the first floor of the building entrance.