Here stands the Edificio Positano. It is a testament to architectural innovation and artistic vision. The Edificio Positano was erected from 1959 to 1963. Luis García Pardo and Adolfo Sommer Smith designed it. They shaped Pocitos’ urban profile.
The Edificio Positano was conceived in several stages. The final design emerged between 1957 and 1959. It was constructed until 1963. The initial plans included a 17-story building. But the final design was a ten-story structure.
García Pardo took risks. He generated controversies in each aspect of the Edificio Positano. He proposed the building’s typology and structure. He chose the materials. He selected the embellishments.
Consider its location. The Edificio Positano sits at the end of Ponce Avenue. It runs parallel to Bulevar Artigas. This positioning creates a deliberate break. It interrupts the alignment with the neighboring school. García Pardo and Sommer Smith challenged the historic city. They presented a modern urban vision.
The structure showcases exposed rationality. García Pardo emphasized this in interviews. The structure became crucial. It defined the building’s formal and spatial resolution. The Edificio Positano, like El Pilar, displays unique originality.
Early designs featured Dieste and Montañez’s structural plans. They proposed a system of plates on each floor. These plates supported cantilevered beams. These beams connected to a large ground-floor portico. Leonel Viera calculated the final ten-story design. It used a similar plate system. Inverted cantilevered beams decreased in height toward the edges. The floor consists of prefabricated concrete slabs. Only circulation pillars and two large T-shaped pillars reach the ground floor. García Pardo described the rest of the structure as cantilevered. It resembles the wings of an airplane.
The integration of structure, space, and form reflects Wrightian concepts. The earlier Positano projects used an independent grid structure. It supported the building’s form but did not define it.
In 1952, García Pardo experimented with a free-flowing plan. He inserted rooms separated by partitions. Programmatic flexibility became a hallmark. It appeared even in social housing projects.
In the final design, bathroom and service partitions have structural functions. The building’s perimeter is open. The facade features floor-to-ceiling glass on the east and west sides. The north and south sides have a glazed central section. Aluminum panels clad the remaining areas. The cantilevered beams supporting the building are visible on each level.
Like the Gilpe building, the Edificio Positano incorporates innovative materials. These included double-glazed windows and electric radiant floor heating. Aluminum frames were also used.
Artistic integration is evident. Lino Dinetto created a mural. It sits on the wall defining the porter’s lodge. Germán Cabrera created a sculpture. It stands in front of the building.
Pablo Ross, then an agronomy student, designed the initial garden. Roberto Burle Marx, a Brazilian landscape architect, also contributed. García Pardo sought his design advice during a visit to Montevideo.
The Edificio Positano is a Municipal Interest. It gained this classification on October 25, 2005. The Edificio Positano remains a remarkable example. It embodies architectural innovation and artistic vision. It is an iconic presence in Montevideo.