2024
MCHAP
CASA ANCONERA
51-1 Arquitectos
Lima, Lima, Peru
January 2023
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Manuel de Rivero Ruiz, Cesar Becerra Bragagnini, Fernando Puente Arnao Malpartida (Architects)
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
CLIENT
Katharine Grimberg Blum
PHOTOGRAPHER
Cristobal Palma
OBJECTIVE
The house is a cascade of volumes and terraces that descend the cliff to the sea. Each level took its own spatial and formal logic. The rich 50s and 60s modern architectural heritage from Ancon was taken as a reference to find an appropriate language for the place: an Anconera house.
A large 4-level cavernous void with lush vegetation is carved out of the rock and sunlit from above to balance the unidirectionality from the obvious attraction of the sea view.
Inside, each transition between one level and the next is solved differently for achieving the greatest spatial diversity: 1. A Piranesian staircase hanging inside the void connects the up-per volume (access and master bedroom) with the second volume (living, dining room and kitchen). 2. A straight staircase descends to the lounge bar and terrace level where the canti-levered infinity pool merges with the bay. 3. From there, a staircase enters the rock of the hill to go down to the next 2 levels (secondary bedrooms level and guests level). 4. Finally an open stairway zigzags down the cliff until it reaches the sea.
CONTEXT
A house on a rocky cliff descending 33m to the sea in the historical bay of Ancón. Given the large number of rooms that the house required, both for the family area (7 bedrooms) and for the extensive social program, it had to be developed on 6 levels. Thus, the biggest challenge consisted of avoiding a volume too big, with the scale and appearance of an apartment build-ing, and achieving instead playful spaces that take advantage of the beautiful landscape of the beach resort town.
PERFORMANCE
By reusing the rocks from the terrain and a reddish concrete, as well as extensive use of native vegetation, the house ages blending with its surroundings by the action of the sea breeze and requiring very low maintenance.
