Antoni Bonet

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Punta Ballena
revisita da r e visite d

66

El 1938 Antonio Bonet s'exilia a Amrica del Sud. D e la se va etapa

In 1938 Antoni Bonet went into exile to South Americe.

Although during his constant changes of residence a considera-

sud-americana, com tothom sap, gaireb no hi ha documentaci.

ble part of the graphic material was /ost. there sti/1 remains an

Els continus trasllats en van extraviar gran part del material grafic.

int eresting col/ection of photographs by Bonet himse/f, most of

To t i aix, encara es conserva una interessant col. lecci de

which ref/ect his deve/opment work over a period of about

fotografes realitzades pe/ m ateix Bonet dedicada en gran part a

three years in P unta B allena. In 1945, Bonet arrived i n

reflectir les tasques d'urbanitzaci fetes al territori de Punta

Uruguay, where h e received the commission t o plan the deve-

Ballena al 1/arg d'uns tres anys.

/opment of 1, 500 hectares near the o/d city of M e /donado. He

En efecte, el 1945 Bonet arriba a I'Uruguai i rep l 'encarrec de

was immediately aware of the need to make the conservation

projectar la urbanitzaci d 'un gran triangle de 1. 500 ha, prxim a

of the place compatible with its specific transformat ion, in

l'antiga ciutat de Maldonado.

ar-

der to allow th e colonisation of an unusual landscape consis-

Bonet es planteja la necessitat de fer compatible la conservaci de

ting of immense forests of pines, eucalyptus and unique spe-

l'indret amb la seva transformaci puntual per tal de permetre la

cies created at t he beginning of the cent ury by the philanthro-

colonitzaci d 'un paisatge inslit constitui"t per immensos boscos de

pist A ntonio Lussich. From the outset Bonet rejected not only

pins, eucaliptus i especies niques, creat pe/ filantrop Antonio

the idea of a simple geometrica/ division int o plots, but a/so the

Lussich a comenc:ament de segle.

picturesque quality of so/utions akin to the "garden cit y".

Bonet defuig des del principi no nicament qualsevo/ parcel. l aci

geomtrica facil, sin tamb el pintoresquisme de solucions

Living from 1945 to 1948 in a "camp site", he devoted him-

properes a la ciutat-jard.

se/f t o preparing the plan on the basis of direct contact with

the site, and al/ planning details gave way immediately to a

lnstal. lat des del 1945 fins al 1948 en un "puesto de campo ", es

built architecture. From the plan of zonification to the cons-

dedica a projectar-ho tot des del contacte directe amb el territori.

truction of traffic thoroughfares , wa/ks, bui/dings and infras-

Qualsevol precisi planificadora deixa pas, immediatament, a una

tructures, the presence of the arch;cect was const ant. lndeed,

arquitectura construida.

the project is the produce of the proximity of the author to his

Es tracta, en definitiva, d'un pr ojecte fet des de la proximitat del

work. Delegation, simple planification and r outine instruments

tcnic amb la seva obra. La delegaci, la simple planificaci, els

gave way here to the impassioned definition of every element

instruments rutinaris, deixen aqu pas a l'apassionada definici de

on the basis of single criteria.

tots els ele ments a partir de criteris nics.

Les antigues fotografes de Bonet - en part presentades en un

Bonet's o/d photographs, some of which were published in a

nmero anterior de Quadern s ' - revelen la se va preocupaci per

past issue of Quaderns ', reveal his concern with reflecting in

images a certain architectural "position , and in this sense

reflectir en imatges una determinada posici arquitectnica. En

they acquire the character almost of personal "explorations of

aquest sentit, gaireb tenen el caracter d"'exploracions " pers onals

the landscape. Rather than simple descriptions, they are above

davant e l p aisatge. N o es tracta tan s ois de simples descripcions,

al/ points of view chosen with specific intentions in mind; they

sin, s obretot, de punts de vista triats amb intencions

do not "record", but select pieces of reality on the basis of in-

especifiques; no registre n , sin que seleccionen trossos de rea/itat

terpretative or, if you prefer, project actitudes. They are, ne-

amb actituds interpretatives o, si es prefereix, projectuals.

verthe/ess , "period photographs, taken to coincide with the

Es tracta, no obstant aix, de tdotografies d'poca, preses en

completion of the works. Th ey belong to the distant pase.

coincidencia amb la terminaci de les obres. Pertanyen a anys

/mages of quality that seduce the observer by virtue of their

1/unyans. lmatges de qualitat que s edueixen per la seva dissipadora

dissipated atmosphere of the past and of their evocati ve air".

atmosfer a de p assat i pe/ seu aire evocatiw1 2

Vo/em, en aquest nmero, superar aquesta eterna "visi d'arxiu ".

In this issue we have set out to go beyond this eterna/ "archive vision and to revisit the reality of a sti/1 living /andscape

Tornar a visitar la realitat d'un paisatge encara viu nascut d 'un

born from an urbanism made essentially from constructed ele-

urbanisme fet essencia /ment d 'elements construi"ts, on no es

menes, where eternally convencional procedures are unneces-

necessiten procediments eternament convencionals. No hi ha

sary and where there are no boulevards or avenues, only pie-

rambles ni avingudes ni passeigs: noms peces d 'arquitectura. Les

ces of architecture. The fol/owing pages are an attempt to

pagines segents pretenen fer conviure les antigues visions amb

bring together o/d visions and another alternativa and contem-

una altra exploraci, alternativa i contemporania, d 'aquest territori

porary exploration of this territory which , whi/e distant, is sti/1

1/unya per, encara avu i, suggeridor.

today suggestive.

1. See 'Anton1o Bonec 1n Quadems. no. 179, 1987. w1th arucles by

Fernando Alvarez, Jord1 R01g and Antomo PIZza
2. See Antonio Pzza, foreword to Antomo Bonet y el Ro de la Plata.
ed. CRC Galeria de Arquitectura. Barcelona. 1987.

1. Vegeu ' AntoniO Bonet" a Guaderns nm. 179, 1987, amb articles de Fernando lvarez,
Jord1 Rmg 1 Antomo P1ua.
2. Vegeu AntoniO Ptua : prOieg a Antomo Bonet y el Rio de la Plata, ed. CRC Galeria de
Arquitectura. B arcelona, 1987.

67

There was a time when man had to protect himself from nature,

Hi va ha ver un temps en que /'home s 'havia de protegir d 'un a natu-

whch appeared to him as a hostile environment. Un ti/ recent/y,

ra/esa manifestada com un entorn hostil. Fins fa ben poc fora de les

outside the cities the territory was adverse

ciutats el territori era advers.

Today, for many people the hostile environment seems ro be the

Avui dia, semb l a que pera molts homes el med hos til prov de la

product of the city irse/f, and the way to confront it often takes the

ciutat mateixa. /la m anera d'afrontar-ho ha estat, a la fi, el contacte

form of renewed contact with nature. Neverrheless, this massive

renovat amb la natura. Tanmateix, aquesta massiva trabada deis

encounrer between urbanites and greenery has been disastrous fortf\ciutadans amb el verd ha estat funesta per a/s ciutadans i per al
both, giving rise ro a wave of extra-urban settlements which, in the'-Vverd mateix: ha provocat una onada d'assentaments extraurbans
majority of cases, constitu te nothing more than a grotesque carica-

que, finalment, han constitui't, en tot cas, una deplorable caricatura.

ture. Without wishing ro return to the past, the time has come to

No pretenem tornar enrere, pero comencem a sentir la necessitat

begin to see k new ways to relate to nature and new forms to live in

de buscar noves formes d 'assentaments en la natura i noves m a ne-

her bosom. To achieve this, we should look backwards in search of

r es de re/acionar-s'hi. s per aix que cal mirar enrere, cercar-hi al

positive experiences and reflect on and draw conc /usions from th e

guna experiencia positiva i ser capafOS de saber-ne l'entrellat per

conditions that made them possible.

des-ti/. l ar -la i r eflexionar sobre alf que la va fer possible.

The Experience of Punta Ballena

L'experiimcia de Punta Ballena

L' indret conegut amb el nom de Punta Ballena, a l' est de
I' Uruguai , t unes caracterstiques naturals que el defineixe n
co m una reg i privil eg iada: el l lac de El Sa uce, situat al nord,
amb 3.000 ha d'aigua; les platges de dunes en el terme amb
l'oce; a l'est, la serra de La Ballen a i la seva punta roco sa,
que s'endinsa en el mar; fin alment, el bosc extraordinari que
ocupa una amplia extensi entre la platja i el llac.

The area known as Punta Bal lena possesses certai n natu

ra l characteristics that define t he place as a privileged region: the lake of El Sauce situated to t he north , with its
surface area of 3,000 hectares; the beaches of sand dunes
where the land meets t he ocea n; to the east, the Sierra de
la Ballena and its rocky promontory that penetrates the
sea; and fina lly, an ext raordi nary forest that occupies the
wide st re tch between the beach and the lake.
Background

Antecedents
El primer assentament estable en la regi de Punta del Este es

The creation of t he first stable settlement in the reg ion of

Punta del Este dates back to the XVIII cent ury, with the

remunta al seg le XVIII, ambla fundaci de la ciutat de

Maldonado, amb fins essencialment militars. Aquest n ucli mai
no va asso lir gaire notorietat.
Al co menc;;ament del nostre seg le, la ruda bellesa de la reg i ,
com tamb les propietats medicinals de l' aire, come nc;;a a
arrossegar-hi els primers turistes.
s aleshores que Antonio Lu ssich, propietari de Punta Ballena
enamorat de l' indret, empren la gegantina tasca de repo bl ar i
convertir en bosc l'mplia extensi entre elllac i el mar. Alllarg
de molts anys Lussich hi va plantar les especies ms variades
d 'a rbres, cosa qu e va aturar el procs de desertitza ci que
comportaven les dunes de sorra.

fo u nding of the essentially m ilitary city of M aldonado. At

the beginn ing of this ce ntury, the w ild beauty of the region and the medicinal properties of the air began to attract the first tourists. lt was then that Anton io Lussich,
owne r of Punta Ba llena and thoroughly enamou red of
the place, began the mammoth task of t ransform ing the
b road stretch between the beach and the lake into a forest. Over a period of many years, Luss ich plant ed an
immense variety of t ree species, halting t he process of
desertisation begun by the encroaching d unes.
"Yo u are here with me, justas outside
the forest of dreams, 1 am afways with you.
Yes, 1 spring, you, spring.
We are rocked by the sea, the frien dl y wind sings to us.

~}cAqui conmigo ests, igual que afuera

bosque del sueo, siempre estoy contigo.
Si primavera yo, t, primavera.
Nos mece el mar, nos canta el viento amigo.
Estamos en Punta Ballena. "

We are in Punta Ballena."

Rafael Alberti Estela funeraria A. Lussich"

A s the years went by, t he n umber of tou rists com ing

t o the area inc reased, and they wo u ld sta y i n a preca-

Rafael Al berti "Estela funeraria A Lussich"

rious spa settlement. A considerable numbe r of the visi-

Amb el temps va anar augmentant el nombre de turistes que h i

feien cap. S'a l lotja ven en una precaria est ruct ura de baln ea ri s.

tors were Argentinian holidaymakers.

Th e ou tb reak o f World Wa r 11 led t o a boom in the

Plata soon made public opinion aware of t he need t o f o-

Una part considerable deis visit ant s eren estiu ejant s argentins .
L' inici de la Segona Guerra Mundial va significar el floriment
economic de I'Uruguai i !' Argentina, qu e abastien els pa'isos
bel.ligerants. A ms, l'intens nivell cultural i i nte l.lectua l

m ent the overall development of Pu nta del Este ':

d'aquells a nys al Riu de la Plata cr een en l'opini pblica una

economies of Uruguay and Argentina, who supplied the

natio ns in conflict. Fu rthermore, the f lou rish ing cultura l
and intellectual moveme nts of th e p eriod in Ro de la

68

CD

69

"lt is the common desire among those who appreciate

Punta del Este that something should be done for this place,
so that the typical aspects that characterise the region are deve/oped without spoiling the qualities we lave toda y"

consciencia primerenca de la necessitat de p reveure g lobalment

el desenvo lupament de la Punta del Este.'
"Es un comn deseo entre los que gustan de Punta del Este que algo se
haga por este lugar, algo, para que lo tpico que da ca r cter a esta regin
se desarrolle sin que pierda las cualidades que hoy nos la hacen querer.

J ulio Vilamaj, architect, 1942.

All circumstances converged to make the grand project possible: the singularity of the region, a cultured so-

Julio Vilamaj (arquitecte), 1942

ciety prepared to act, and the economic means neces-

T otes les circu m stancies co nf l ueixen cap al g ran projecte: la

singu laritat de l' i ndret , una societat cu ltivada i disposta, una
economia capa9 ... Quan Bonet arriba l 'any 1945 a Punt a Ba llena
h i recone ix aquests elements amb la i ntel. l igencia i el ta lent
necessaris per entendre aque lla situaci particu lar i
donar- hi res posta.

sary to ca rry it out. When Bonet arrived in Punta Ballena

in 1945, he recognised all these e lements with the intelligence and talent necessary to understand and give an
adequate response to that particular situation.
" When Antonio Bonet moved into the old house in the farest, and having decided on the plan that gave him the power
to transform it, the first question that appeared befare his @
eyes, surely causing a shiver of fear, was: how can 1 en ter
this forest, how can 1 penetrare it, touch it, without damaging
it, without spoiling its astonishing beauty?"Rafael Alberti, 1968

"cuando Antonio Bonet se instal en la vieja casa del b osque, ya decidido el plan que le daba poderes para transformarlo, la primera pregunta
que asom a sus ojos, no s in filo de miedo seguramente, fue: cmo meterme en ese bosque, cmo penetrarlo, tocarlo sin daarlo, sin herirlo en
su maravilla?

The Project fo r the Developm ent of Punta Ballena

Th e Punta Ba llena project embraced an area of 3,000

Rafael Alberti, 1968

Proj ecte d' urbanitz aci d e Punta Ba llena (1945-1948)

El project e d'u rbanit zaci de Punta Ballena comp renia un ambit
de 3.000 ha i preveia la parcel. laci en lot s de 2.000 m ' , que es
posaven a la venda i sobre els qua ls cada propietari construiria
-amb una certa tutela- la seva casa unifamiliar a'il lada.

hectares and contemplated the division of the site into

plots of 2,000 m ' eac h , which would be subsequently
placed on the market and each owner a llowed to build
(under certain guidance) his own detatched house.
From an inner main road, parallel to the beach, sma-

Una carr et era general interior, paral. lela a la platj a, co nstitu'i a el

tra9at a partir del qual penj aven altres car rer s sin uosos d'accs
roda t a cadascuna de les parcel.les. Una xa rxa interior de cami ns
enlla9ava per als v ianants les diferent s zo nes de la urban itzaci.
Coincidint amb les confluencies viaries, es disposaven usos
pblics, com ara el cl u b social, el mercat, magatzems ...

ller winding streets would break off and provide vehicles with access to each of the plots. A further network
of inner footpaths linked the d ifferent zones of the u rbanisation. At t he intersections o f the streets, public amenities were provided such as a social club, market and
department stores.
" The programme is based on a clear and wide/y embra
cing propasa!: to exalt the extraordinary beauty of the area
through human work, scmetimes subtly merging with nature,
sometimes emerging in al/ irs splendour. From the urbanistic
point of view, Punta Ballena wi/1 not be exactly a cicy. /t is the
architecr's responsibility to find ways (using modern rechniques and knowledge) for a foresr ora beach to be admired
and enjoyed by as many people as possible, at the same time
ensuring rhar this wi/1 not bring about their desrrucrion. Since
Punra Ballena is not a true city, it muse not be characterised
(since its nature is coral/y differenr) by che preponderance of
decacched ha uses, a repetition of the monstruous garden cities thar surround a number of American cities and which
modern urbanism has foughc so hard to preven c. "'

" El programa es basa en un propsit ciar i d'una gran envergadura: exaltar les extraordin ries belleses de l'indret mitjan r;ant /'obra humana,
unes vegades confosa subtilment amb la natura, unes altres apareixent
en tat a la seva esplendor. Des del punt de vista urbanistic, Punta Ballena
no ser ben b una ciutat. L 'arqu itec te ha de trabar la soluci perqu un
base, una platja, etc., puguin ser admirats i gaudits (servint-se d e la tcnica i deis coneixements moderns) per t anta gent com sigui possible sense provocar-ne la destrucci. Per tal com Punta Ballena no s veritablement una ciutat, en la preponderncia de l'habitatge unifamiliar no s'ha
de veure -el seu carcter s totalment diferent- una repetici de les
"ciutats jard" que envolten monstruosament algunes ciutats americanes
i contra les quals l'urbanisme modern ha lluitat tant. n'

Amb la perspectiva q u e ens conf ereix el temps, en el pr ojecte

s' observen algunes opcions basiques pel que fa al plantej ament
d'una harmonia parti cu lar amb el paratge:
lmportants extensions de bosc (les nostres zones verdes) sn
pbl iques. Aquestes zo nes re st en int actes, sense cap altra
alteraci que !'obertura deis senderes que permeten recrrer-les
i la f o rmaci d' alg una clariana coma tita i lloc de trobada .
L' interior de les parcel.les, p er b que sigui exclusivament
privat, t unes servituds envers la resta de la urban itzaci. Aix,
cal mantenir el t i pus i la densitat de l'arbrat i sotmetre
l'edificaci a un criteri g l oba l. T ot aixo permet que, sens
perjudici de les aspiracions de la propietat individual, cada

With the perspective provided by t im e, the project

has revealed to us certain options which are basic to the
harmony achieved with the existing setting:
The large extensions of forest (our green zones) are
public. These areas hav e remained intact, the only alte
ration being the opening o f paths and the occasiona l
c learing as a la ndmark and meeting place.
The interior of the pl ots, although exclusively pri va te, contain se rvices for the rest of the urbanisation . Thus
the type and density of trees must be maintained and
buil d ing governed by global c riteria. All this means that,
without lesse ning the aspirations o f individual property

70

owne rs, each one feel s involved in a j o int venture which

propietari se senti partcip d ' una intenci conj unta que l'abra9a i
l i sugger eix formes de relaci amb l'entorn.
U n t ra 9at viari orgi:mic. El s ca rrers de transit rodat no pr etenen
configurar un mb it (com en la ciut at), si n que simplement
obren pas entre el base. El tra9at sinu s que presenta s el que
m illar co njuga amb la natura i tendeix als mnims elements
necessaris pera la co nstrucc i. Simples liases de formig
dipositades en el t erreny f an el fet perfectament: no hi ha
vo rades ni fana ls, com tampo c voreres ni cap alt re element urba.
El lm it de parcel.l es tampoc no s'al inea respecte al v ial, i crea,

suggests to h im forms of relat ing with his surroundings.

The thoroughfare layout is organ ic. The streets for
ve hicle traffic are not intended t o create an ambit (as in
the city) but simp ly to open a p ath through t he wood s.
l ts sinuous a r rangement i s the one that best inf ilt rates
the natural setting an d uses onl y the minimal elements
necessary for its construction. Simple concrete slabs lai d
on the grou nd perfectly fulfil this function; there are neither kerbs nor lam p post s, neither pavements nor any other ki nd of urban element. T he plot lim its are not al igned
along t he thoroughfares, and in t his way create a nat ural
stri p that sh uns the concept of

dones, una franja natural que defuig les fa9anes .

L'absencia de passeig martim en el projecte de Pu nta Ba llena s
inslita i, al seu t orn , f o nament al. La relaci natural entre el base i
el mar roman intact a d 'una man era volunt riament primitiva .
Bonet va proj ectar a Punta Ballena cinc obres ms (el parador
La Solana del Mar, 1947; la casa Berlingieri, 1947; la casa
Cuatrecasas, 1948; la casa La Rin conada, 1948, i la casa Booth,
1948), q ue l i va n permetre assajar en l'edificaci els criteris
generals amb q u e havi a concebut la urbanitzaci.

fa ~a d es.

The absence of a "maritime prom enade" in the Punta

Ballena project, w hi le su rprising , is nevertheless fundame ntal. The natural relationship between the forest and
the sea remains intact in a deliberately p rimitive way.
Bo net d esig ned f ive works for Punta Ballena , the Solana del Mar Hote l (1947); Casa Berling ie ri (1947); Casa
Cuatrecasas (1 948); Casa la Rinconada (1948) and Casa
Booth (1948), which permitted him to experiment practica lly w ith the general criteria on the basis of w hich he
had co nceived his urbanisation.

Amb el pas del temps ...

D' en9a de la decada deis cinquanta, la zona del Riu de la Pl ata ha
estat sotmesa a fortes convulsions poltiques i finan ce res, i aquest
estat gaireb permanent de r egressi econmica ha dificu ltat
enormeme nt el d esenvolupament posterio r de Punta Ballena .
La seva extensi in icial s'ha redu.it, i han estat desvi rtuad es
moltes intencions basiques (ed ificac ion s inadequades,
parcel.laci d 'algunes zones co mu nes, densificaci plu rifami lia r
en alguns lots ... ).
M algrat els avatars de l temps , pero, la naturalesa de l'indret i la
seva exuberant bellesa conti nuen tenint l'essencia del que van
ser. Aquest s, ms que cap altre, el gran exit de Punta Ballena :
planificar l'assentament de l' home en la natura tra nsforma nt- la
sense que perdi la propia essencia.

The Passing of Time

Since the fifti es, the a rea of Ro de la Plata has suffered major political and financia! upheava ls, and this almost permanent state of economic regression has made
th e subsequ ent d ev elopme nt of Punta Ballena enormously difficult. lts origina l site has been reduced in size
and many of Bo net's basic intentions have been bet ra yed in th e f o rm of u n suitable buildin gs, the div ision of
some of the commo n zones into plots and t he construct ion of multi-fam ily bl ocks on some sites.
Nevertheless, and d espite the vagiaries of t ime the natu re of t he place and its exuberant beauty st ill maintain
the essence o f what th ey were. Th is, over and above any
other, is the m ain achievem e nt o f Punta Ballena: plan n ing a huma n settlement in natu re by transform ing the

A t, arqui tecto de la luz, tocado

del soplo de la mar grecolatina;
mano que eleva, frente que origina
la gracia en el a_zul ilimitado.
nPor t o t ra vez el cielo fue creado,
p or t el oscuro bosque se ilumina.
Cant a tu arquitectura cristalina
sobre el espacio m s deshabi tado.
" Te espera el sol, el aire anda i mpaciente
del campo a la ciudad, y el hombre siente
morirse de dolor en la m irad a.
nEI arquitecto puede hacer la rosa
y con el sol la vida ms dichosa,
en luz, en luz, en luz edificada.n
Rafa el Alberti, 1946 Homenaje a A. Bonet

latter in such a way as fo r it not to lose its essence.

" To you, architect of light. to uched

by the breeze o f the Graeco-Latin sea;
hand that raises, brow that creares
grace in the endless blue.
For yo u once again the heavens were created,
for yo u the dark forest filled with light.
Your crystalline arch itecture sings
in the most desolare places.
The sun awaits yo u, the a ir moves impatiently
from the country to the city, and man feels
that he dies of sorrow in t he gaze.
Th e architect can make the rose
and with the sun life blessed,
in light, in light, in light constructed."
Rafael Alberti, 1946 Hom age to A. Bonet

1. Especialment il.lustratius en aquest sentit sn els articles peridics de l'arquitect e

uruguai Julio Vilamaj: "Estudio regional para Punta del Este". 1B d'agost , 27 d'agost i 5
de sept embre de 1943.
2. Vegeu Antonio Bonet Castellana: "Un centro de turismo en Amrica del Sur. Punta
Ballena, Uruguay, memria del projecte , 1945.

1 . Especially !llustrat1ve in th1s respect are the periodical articles

by the Uruguayan architect Julio Vifamaj. "Est udio regional para

Punta del Este", August 1B. August 27 and September 5 1943 .
2. See Antonio Bonet Castellana , "Un centro de turismo en
Amrica del Sur. Punta Ballena. Uruguay". Project report, 1945.

71

lr:M'twfMMP-1

l@fiQ:QII.fli!!.!,!,i@iij.j.;, ; : ; ; ;

Antoni Bonet Castellana 1

The urbanisatio n wa s s it ed i n a roughly

Es va plantejar la urbanitzaci en una zona basicament

Punta Ballena, Punt a del Este

tri angular area o f 1,500 hectares besi de the

triangular de mil cinc-centes hectarees situada al costat del

Maldonado. Uruguay

sea, just befo re Punta del Este on t h e road

mar, abans d'arribar a Punta del Este des de Montevideo.

from Montevideo. The sea formed one of the

Aix , el mar constitueix un deis costats del t riangle; un

Projecte. Proj ect

sid es of the tri angle, th e lake another and the

gran llac. el segon , i la serra de Punta Ballena, el te rcer.

1945

Pu nta Ba ll ena m ou nt ai n ra nge t h e t hi rd.

Aproxi madament mil hectarees sn oc upades per un ex-

Execuci. Constructio n

A pproximat el y one thousand hectares are oc-

traord i nari bosc de pins, eucaliptus i una g ran var i etat

1945-1949

cup ied by an extraordinary fo rest of pine, eu-

d'especies botimiques de gran valor. Aquest bosc, creat n -

Fotog rafies . Photographs

calyptus and a w i de va rie ty o f highly valua-

tegrament per Antonio D. Lussich, va ser, juntament amb

Antoni Bonet Castellana Arxi us/A rchives

ble botanical species. This fore st, created in

la platja, el factor determinant del projecte.

Jorge Nudelmann, Andrs Carranza

its entirety by A ntonio D. Lussich, w as t oget-

A cada costat del triangle es va projectar un tipus de v ida

Co ord i naci report atge

her wit h the beach the determining factor in

diferent: un dna a l'ocea i s basicament pla; l'altre dna

Franco Comerc i

th e project. A d ifferent type of lile was plan-

al llac, la llacuna de El Sauce, dedicada a la navegaci es-

ned for each side o f th e triangle: one side lo-

portiva; finalment, el tercer, a la serra, forman una penn -

o ks over the ocean and is basically flat; anot-

sula anomenada Punta Ballena en trobar-se amb el mar.

her looks over the lake, given over to sailing

Unint els centres deis costats d'aquest triangle en una es-

act ivities; finally the t hird side looks towards

trella de tres puntes es van constituir els serveis d'ordre

the mountains which form the peninsula ca-

col.lectiu , social. comercial, hoteler i esportiu, concentrats

lled Punta Ballena. Joining the middle of the

en un espa i central comunitari.

sides of this triangle in a three-poin te d star,

Pel que fa al trimsit rodat, es va aconseguir del Ministeri

the collective social, commercial, hotel and

d'Obres Pbliques que la via principal no passs pel costat

sports services were constitu ted, concent ra

del mar, sin cinc-cents metres cap a

ted in a central communi ty area.

!' interior, cosa que va evitar la trad icio-

A s re gards vehicle traffic, permission w as

nal avinguda costanera. Aquesta via ra -

granted by the M inistry of Public Works for

pida une ix cap a l 'oest Punta Ballena

the main thoroughfare to be moved hall a ki-

amb Montevideo; des d'aqu, amb Bue-

lometre inland. Thi s highway links Punta

nos A i res i, en sentit contrari, amb les

Ballena towards the west w ith M ontevideo

grans platges de l'est i del Brasil.

and Buenos Aires beyond, and tow ards the

En la inte rsecci d' aquesta gran ruta

east with the large beaches and Brazil. At the

amb el centre social , en surten dues

intersection between this road with the Social

ms, que sn divergents: l'una, ca p a la

Centre two more highways split off, one to

zona de les dunes i el llac, i l'altra, cap

wards the dune area and the other towards

al b osc, la serra i les po b la cions del

th e forest. the mountains and the nonheas-

no rd -est. De les carrreteres anteriors

tern towns. Branch ing off from these roads

surten camins de velocitat restringida per als veh icles, en

are smaller, low -speed vehicle paths in t he

forma de passeigs dins el bosc, sense cru'illes, que fo rmen

form of paradas through the forest. each one

circuits tancats.

independent from the o thers. forming a clo-

Serveixen als centres residencials. Cal destacar que el seu

sed circui t and serving the residential areas.

trac;:at respon a la intenci d'unir els habitatges amb una

Their layout is designad to join the houses

superficie pavimentada mnima.

with a minimum of paved surface.

Thi s led to the constru cti on of pedestrian
paths, <:ompletely independent from the vehi

La supressi del carrer tradi cional i les voreres al llarg del

ca m d'a utom obi ls fa que es construeixin senders pera
vianants.

ele traff ic network and constituting the main

La xa rxa de senders compl etament independent de la de

means of intercommunication within the resi

vehi cle s constitueix el mitja principal d'intercomunicaci

de ntia l ce nt res and b etween the i ndividual

dins els centres residencials, com tamb ent re els habitat-

dwellings and the natural element that charac-

ges, i s l'element natural que els caracteritza.

terises them. The pedestrian p aths cross t he

Les cru'illes d'aquesta xarxa amb la de vehicles han estat

streets by means of simple wooden catwalks.

resoltes amb simples passarel.les de fusta.

72

Plnol esquematic del sector

Diagr ammatic plan of the area
(L 'Architecture d'Aujord'hui
num. 6 1 . 1955

1. Centre Soctai/Socia/ Centre

2. 3. 4. 5. Zones residencials
RestdenCJa/ zones
6. "La Punta Ballena"
7. Golf
8. Sports nautlCS/ NauCJcal sports
9. Zona tndustnal/ lndusr:ria/ zone
1O. Zona agricola/ Agrtcultural zone
1 1. Aeroport/Atrport
12. Ptsctfactoria/Fishery
13. Yachttng
14. Pare pbhc/ Public park
15. H osterta/ Hostelry

Plnol general de la urbanitzaci amb les seves connexions

territorials i els accidents geogrfics que la caracteritzen
Map of Punta Ballena showing road and rail connections and
characteristic natural features {sea, mountain range and lake)

Planta tipus d'una bossa de parcel.lacions.

Sota, estructura viria de la urbanitzaci litoral.
Tracats discontinus: camins rodats
Tracats continus: camins de vianants
Tracat gruixut: Carretera Montevideo - Punta del Este
Plan of housing pocket between the road and the sea.
Below, thoroughfare structure of the coastal deve/opment.
Ootted fines: vehicle traffic
So/id fines: pedestrian traffic
Thick fine: Road from Montevideo to Punta del Este

73

74

"'

....

11

A C.

Oetalls de l'urbanitzaci. Camins rodats: aspecte actual i vistes primitive s amb els
elements de conexi peaLDnals originals.
Oetalls of tl!e urbanizat10n. Patl!s: present look and early sights with the original
elements of pedestrian connections.

e:
e:

"'E

iii
"C

::>

Q)

E'
....,o

Bonet descansa a la Rinconada. D esprs deis treballs de Punta

Bonet rests in La Rinconada. After the w ork on Punta

Ballena ' , the architect ret ires to observe. He has chosen

Ballena ', l'arquitecte es retira a observar. Ha triat una elevaci no

a rise not ve ry far away in arder to appreciate the details.

gaire allunyada per apreciar-ne e/s detalls.

La Rinconada is outside the developed complex. While the

La Rinconada s fora del conjunt urbanitzat. Si b aquest conjunt

latter constitutes a "perfect " model -the differentiated

constitueix un model 11perfecte11 -e/s transits diferenciats, la

itineraries, speed, respect for nature- Bonet seems t o

velocitat, el respecte perla natura ... - , Bonet sembla dubtar. 1 en

doubt. A nd instead of "experiencing " his project, he pre-

/loe d'11experimentanJ el seu projecte, s'estima ms separar-se'n ,

fers t o stand aside, on the margin. He chooses a good

situar-se'n al marge. Tria un bon punt de vista i es disposa a

vantage point and, from his house-eye, he prepares to ob-

captar, des de la seva casa u/1, a l 'estiu, a cada moment, com es

serve, each instant, every summer, how his work develops

desenvolupa i com creix la seva obra.

or grows.

Mirar, en Bonet, s separar-se. Allunyar-se del s/, prendre'n

distancia. Observar la natura des d'un punt superior, sentir-s'hi

In Bonet , looking is standing back. He places himself at

a distance from the subject. He observes nature from a

ali. No s solament saber que Ana Maria s al seu /loe adient, el

higher point, isolated from it. lt is not just knowing t hat

ms adequat. En cada pont, en cada bafe, Bonet propasa aquesta

Ana Mara is in the right, the most suitable, place.

elevaci que alhora s un allunyament i una mirada no

contaminada.

On every bridge, on every balcony, Bonet propases t his

elevat ion which, at t he same t ime, is a distancing and an

s conscient Bonet del gest 11modermJ que fa en col. locar-se fora?

uncontaminated gaze.'

D 'alguna manera, s e// mateix que obre la va per a la 11destrucciJJ

del vessant de Punta Ballena. En aquesta modernitat, prendre

ls Bonet aware of the "modern " gesture he makes by

placing himself at a remove? lt is he himse/f who opens

distancia seria la clau. Veure, m s que no pas experimentar. El

the way towards the "destruction" of the slope of Punta

devessa/1 urbanitzador ha cercat veure la posta de so/, la badia, la

Ballena. In this modernity, keeping one's distance would

serra, el mar. No interessa tant, dones, el contacte directe amb

be the key. Seeing more than experiencing. The urbanising

e/s arbres.

avalanche has sought to see the sunset, the bay, the

El temps ha transcorregut, des d 'a/eshores, a dos ritmes

mountains, the sea. Therefo re direct contact with the tre-

desc ompassats: mentre que el mn inter ior de la urbanitzaci ha

es is of less in t erest. Since then, time has passed follo-

anat vegetant placidament, a fora , la geografa agresta de la

wing t wo out-of-phase rhythms: while the inner world of

11puntaJJ ha cedit pas a la colonitzaci salvatge del turisme.

the complex has gent ly vegeta ted, out side the wild geo-

Quina s la magia que ha mantingut, malgrat tot, la natura/esa

graphy of the "point" has given way to the savage coloni-

bonetiana en el conjunt urbanitzat?

76

Si exc/oem /'efectivitat de les principals idees de projecte: la

sation of tourism.

separaci programtica de trnsit de vianants i d 'autombi/s, les

What is the magic which nevertheless Bonetian nature

jerarquies deis elements d 'estructura urbana, etc., ham arriba a

has maintained in the urbanised complex?

una absurda conclusi: roman perqu no serveix. No serveix com a

Having rejected the e ffectiveness of the main design

ideas : the programmatica/ separat ion of pedestrian and

eficac reproductor deis capitals immobiliaris. El tracat sinus li

vehic/e itinerarias, the hierarchies of the elements of ur-

confereix impermeabilitat; /'explaraci esdev dificultosa,

ban structure, etc., we come to an absurd conclusion: it

laberntica. Arribar a algun /loe s una empresa reservada per a

remains because it is of no use. lt does not function as an

iniciats.

efficient reproducer of real estate capital. The sinuous la -

s tal valta aquesta impenetrabilitat ali que protegeix la seva

yout endows it with impermeability; exploration becomes

arquitectura?

difficult, labyrinthine. To r each an objective is the task of

La Solana s, fins i tot amb la destrucci d'alguns elements, com

initiates.

una construcci tipolgica, amb fci/s transparencies miesianes i

un aire aaltoni en la seva relaci amb la natura.

Could it be this impenetrability that protects his archi-

La casa Baoth ha madurat i a cada pas s 'ha enriquit amb /'s i la

tectures? La Solana is, even with the destruction of sorne

elements, like a topological construction, with easy M ie-

invasi d 'arbres i plantes.

sian transparencias and an Aaltian air in its relationship

La Cuatracasas aparentment ha sofert ms amb els agregats, que

with nature. Casa Booth has matured, becoming enriched

gaireb doblen el volum edificat i que han fet que el carcter

with use and the e n croachment of trees and p/ants.

original de l 'edificaci resti amagat.

Cuatrecasas, which has apparent ly suffered most from

La Berlingieri roman fotagenicament inclume. lmmaculada. La

additions {which almost double the built volume}, s t i/1 re-

utopa construii:Ja es converteix en heterotopia.

tains its original character. The Berlingieri house remai ns

El mn exterior, el mn no planificat, s'ha urbanitzat: e/s lmits sn

photogenica/ly unharmed. lmmaculate. Bui/t Utop ia beco-

precisas, /'exterior i /'interior sn ben delineats. On acaba el base

mes heterot opia.

de Bonet comencen les cases. El 11caos>> de la natura ha estat

substitui't per l'ttardre>> del mercat. En el mar immobiliari, la

The unplanned outside world has been developed: the li-

es avui una casa ms. Sense els arbres,

mits are c lear , inside and outside are precise/y outlined.

Rinconada

Where Bonet's w ood ends the house s begin. The "chaos "

seu encant. Tant hi fa l'agregat d'un rfec que en trenca les

of nature has been rep/aced by the "arder" of the market.

proporcions! Al cap i a la fi, la Gallarda ha t ingut ms sort:

ha perdut el

In the real estate sea , La Rincon ada is today one more

senzillament va desapareixer en el creixement de Punta del Este.

house. Without the trees, it has lost its aura. What does

Segons el 11Sardo>> Ferreres, uns "salvatges" la van t irar a terra ... 3

it matte r if t he addition of a fin has broken its propor-

Jorge Nudelmann

tions? W hen al/ is said and done, La Gallarda has suffered

better fate: immersed in the deve/opment of Punta del

1. Punta Ballena s un promontori amb un perfi l semblant al d'un cetaci. La urbanitzaci se
s1tua, en reahtat. als peus de la punta. En aquest sentit s recomenab le consultar el plimol
general de S1tuac16.

Este, it has s imply d isappeared. A ccording to Ferreres "el

Sordo" {the Deaf), so me "savages" demolished it... >

2. A la Ber1tng1er1 i a la R1nconada J'a l ~at el constitueix els balcons en voladis. A la Solana, el

sastre. A la Cuatrecasas, !'escala que pua. La glorieta d'observaci al base Luss1ch; o b
les desaparegudes torres de control...
3. Amb l'escalfor del caf i del rom cub, el Sordo va ressucitar Bonet. Juan Gabriel
Ferreres Beltran VIU a rarea del poblat obrer. Va ser ajudant d'Antoni Bonet a Buenos Aires
1 a Punta Ballena Actualment treballa a Argent ina 1 Uruguai en tasques de forestaci i
pa1satg1sme. La seva casa s repleta d'obectes bonetans, de cadires de la casa Berhngieri
1 de la R1nconada rescatadas de la voracitat fam1liar, la BKF presidint la sala, 1 el plano! de
la urban1tzac16, que va d1bu1xar amb Bonet, penat a la paret del menjador. Refugiat dins la
seva sordesa. no fa cas de les preguntes i esgrana els seus records sobre la bogeria
creat1va de Bonet: "Proectava amb carb, en una taula vertical.. .desprs arribava
l'esclav1tud de l'escala ... 1 la del client". La bellesa de la Berlingieri. el geno de Garcia
Mercada!, la VISita de Neutra, la proporci6 - "sc lecorbusista!". Al requeriment de les
nostres preguntes ;obre el
poblat obrer, ass1gnava un
paper marg1nal a aquestes
construcclons d1ns !'obra. tot 1
que insista en ter-nos veure la
casa de Vilamaj6 que havia
reformat Bonet.

1 . Punta Ballena (Whale Po1nt) 1s a promontory whose outJ1ne 1s

s1molar to that of a cetacean The urbanosatton Js at the feet of the

po.nt proper. Regardng ths. Jt 1S worth consult1ng the general
locatJon plan.
2. In La Berl1ng1erJ and '" La R.nconada, the utt1ng balcon1es
constJtute the elevat1on The roof. '" La Solana, the ascend1ng
sta1rcase 1n Cuatrecasas The observat1on square 1n the Luss1ch
wood. or the no longer exost.mg control towers...
3. In the heat of coffee and Cuban rum, "el Sordo" resusc1tated
Bonet. Juan Gabr1el Ferreres Beltrn ltves '" the workers' v1llage
area He was Antomo Bonet's ass1stant 1n Buenos A1res and m
Punta Ballena He now works on forestry and landscap1ng on
Argentma and Uruguay H1s house 1s crammed w1th Bonetttan olr
ects: chaors from Casa Berltng1er1, from La Rmconada, rescued
from m11ttary vorac1ousness. the BKF pres1d1ng over the 1tv1ng room and the plan of the urban1sat1on he drew w1th Bonet, hang1ng
1n the d1n1ng room Sheltered 1ns1de h1s deafness he 1gnores ques
t1ons and reels off h1s memor1es Bonet's creat1ve msan1ty - "he
des1gned '" charcoal. on a vert1cal table .. . then eame the slavery
of scale ... and the demands of the cltent. The beauty of the Berltngierl house, the gen1us of Garcia Mercada!, the v1s1t from
Neutra, the proport1on - "l'm a Lecorbus1st!" He attaches ltttle
1mportance, on the other hand. to the externa! work of the urbano
satton: mentton of the constructtons 1n the workers' v1llage 1s mar
g1nal. and 1n repense to our questtons. Here he d1d 1ns1st that we
see the house of V1larna6, renovated by Bonet

El "Sordo" Farreres. Al fans,

plnol orig1nal de la urban1tzaci.

"El Sordo" {the Deaf} Farreres.

Behmd, orgmal plan of the
development

77

A. C.

Casa mnima de vacances

situada a l a zona de la platja,
per a dins del bosc.
La proporci horitzontal exterior
aconseguida amb el pati i el
garatge crea l a relaci adequada
amb

l'al~ria

deis arbres.

La doble vista del livingroom i la

seva sortida a l a galera a travs
d ' un eventua l dormitori crea tot
l'espai necessari.
El sastre de la casa forma una
terrassa-jard a la qual s'arriba

per mitj d 'una escal a exterior.

A minimal holiday h ome located

inside the fo rest.

The exterior horizontal p rop orti on

achieved by m eans of the patio
and the garag e creat es a suitable
relationship with the height of t he
trees. The double view from
the li ving room and its exit to the
gallery through an occasional
bedroom create all the space
n ecessary.
The roof forms a terrace garden
reach ed by means of an i nner
staircase.

80

La casa es desplega en una sola

planta i t vistes al mar des de
tots els ambients. La galera s
una prolongaci de la sala i
uneix e ls dos cossos principals,
cosa que els d na independencia

i unitat a lhora .

The house con sists of one sigle

floor and has sea views fr om
every r oom. The gallery is an
ext ension of the living room and
links th e two main sections of the
bui lding, endowi ng them wi t h
bot h individuality and unity.

81

IIIU!Illllllli
1

'b

11::
1

Jb
~ ~ ~ po o ~='- U

11

lJ"

o
(>

'

uu iJ

"O~
..

g~

lllillill lllillJ]J

Cll 1 1111

Casa II:)fhH~ H:)fl

A second sand d une stood h er e,

A. C.

--------------------------

Per segona vegada apareix u na

this ti me on the sea front and wi t h

duna, sobre un terr eny a p rimera

woodland behind.

linia de m ar i amb un f o ns

The exploitation of t he dune, and

boscs.

the use of Cata lan vaults an d t he

L'apro fitam ent de la d u na, la

climate were three basic

util itzaci de voltes catala nes i e l

conditioning elements in this

c lima sn els tres

work. Each bedroom is

condicionaments b asics

symbolised by its own vau lt; the

d ' aquest a o bra.

living area is contained beneath a

Cad a dor mitori s simbolitzat

vault two storeys high with the

perla sev a pr pia volt a . La zona

living room below and the dinin g

de l es sa le s s

room with a space overlooking the

emp l a~a da

en una

volt a d e doble altura : la sala en

living room above.

el nivell b aix i e l menjador,

amb un bu it cap a la sal a, en
el m s a lt .

82

La casa s situada a la zona

d ' uni entre la gran platja i e l
penya-segat de Punta Ballena, la
qual cosa fa que tingui una
mplia vista de llarg a llarg de la
plat ja. El moviment del pen yasegat en tots dos sentits fa de la
gran sala un escena ri e levat
davant de la mar.
Els q u atre dormitoris es
distribueixen prcticament sen se
cap passads, a la part del

da rrere, cap al jard.

The house is locat ed in the area
th at joins t he larg e beach and the

Pu nta Ba ll ena cl iff, which offers a

wid e panorama over the w hole of

A. C.

r-- - --- - -- -.,

' .

the bay. The slop es of t he cli ff in

both d irections t ran sform the big
living room into a r aised stage
o verl ooking t he sea . The tour
bedrooms are arra nged in a g r oup
practica lly w i th out corridors at t he
r ea r of t he house, looking onto
t he garden.

r~.~

83

84

Edifici multifuncional previst per

incloure restaurant, sal de te,
terrassa de hall i un petit hotel.
L' existencia d' una gran duna
davant de la platja va suggerir la
possibilitat d 'adosar una gran
llosa de formig a la duna
esmentada; automaticament s'hi
van crear tres plantes d ' accs.
A la primera planta, al nivel! de
la platja, es van situar el bar i el
sal de te. A la segona planta, el
menjador, amb un buit que
donava a la mar, i els dormitoris.
A la planta superior, la gran
terrassa-jard amb la pista de
ball sobre la coberta.

This multi-functional building

houses a r estauran t, tea room,

dance floor and small hotel.

The presence of a lar ge dune opposite the beach suggested
backing an enormous concrete
slab onto it, automatically creating
t hree access floors. On the first, at
beach leve!, the bar and tea room
were placed; on the second, the
d ining-romm with an open area
over looking the sea and the
bedrooms; finally, on the roof
t he large terrace garden and
dance floor.

85

86

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o.=- -AJ>.. ':...= _
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-.

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87

88