Catalinas Rio is the centerpiece of a large-scale revitalization effort in Buenos Aires. Set in an underutilized railyard along the Rio de la Plata, the building lies at the heart of the city’s Catalinas Norte II master plan, a 30,000-square-meter redevelopment that will move highways and train tracks away from the streets and reclaim the waterfront as a vibrant, pedestrian-centered destination. Activating the ground level with an amenity-rich, public-facing component, the building will be different from any office tower that has come before — it represents a new vision for the future of workplace design.

Catalinas Rio is conceived as a vertical campus, with two trapezoidal towers, rising 29 and 22 floors, and connected by a series of multistory skybridges. It is an unorthodox solution to the project’s linear site, and redefines wellness in an office building. The skybridges provide spacious terraces for office tenants, complemented by additional, smaller terraces and recessed balconies throughout the towers. Together with a public plaza at the base, the green spaces create a total of 10,000 square meters of outdoor space — contributing to both LEED Gold and WELL certification targets. These spaces are configured to frame views of the river and to be used through all seasons and weather conditions: the roof decks draw sunlight on clear days and the balconies provide shelter from the heat and rain. The spaces within the bridges – with floorplates as large as 6,000 square meters – can be rearranged for events and for tenants requiring vast, open floor plans.

On the ground, Catalinas Rio establishes the neighborhood’s new urban identity. Its outdoor square, inspired by the open spaces that characterize Buenos Aires’ historic fabric, knits the street, waterfront, and every part of the building together. It is nestled between the towers and their lobbies, where indoor retail and shared amenities on both sides will form a cluster of activity. The vision for the site includes a proposed pedestrian bridge that will enhance this connection further – starting from the plaza and extending over the rail lines, highways, and river to bring people to the city’s public river promenade, a nearby ferry terminal, and Puerto Madero, a revitalized neighborhood across from Catalinas Norte II.