Transfer | Mediomundo

Vilamajó House: Interior Landscape and Domestic Exploration

At MEDIOMUNDO, Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez conceive architecture as a process of research, learning, and dialogue with both history and the contemporary context. Recently, together with students and professors from the University of Frankfurt, we had the opportunity to revisit the Vilamajó House Museum in Montevideo, now a research centre for the Faculty of Architecture.

The experience allowed us to delve into the spatial richness of the house, where the different levels, garden, and exterior terraces frame a dynamic interior landscape. Each route reveals a sequence of domestic scenes—almost dreamlike visions of alternative ways of living—that invite further exploration into the boundaries and possibilities of contemporary domesticity.

We are especially grateful to Mónica Nieto and the Institute of History at the Faculty of Architecture, UDELAR, for their warm welcome and guidance, which enabled us to deepen our understanding of Julio Vilamajó’s work and its relevance as a reference for current architecture.

Casa Vilamajó: paisaje interior y exploración doméstica

Cravotto House: Restoration, Memory, and Dialogue with the City

At MEDIOMUNDO, Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez conceive architecture as a process of research, learning, and dialogue with history and the urban context. Recently, together with students and professors from the University of Frankfurt, we had the opportunity to visit the Cravotto House in Montevideo, the home and studio of architect Mauricio Cravotto, currently undergoing restoration to become the headquarters of the Cravotto Foundation.

Thanks to the generosity of the foundation and Soledad Cebey, head of the archive, we were able to access original documents from the project—a living testimony to the careers of Mauricio and Antonio Cravotto, two key figures in Uruguayan architectural and urban culture.

Declared a Historic Monument, the Kalinen house-studio is a pioneering example of Uruguayan modernity. Organised over four levels, carved from a single volume, the house resolves the relationship between interior and exterior with both austerity and finesse, using balconies, terraces, setbacks, and textures to engage in dialogue with the city and its era.

This experience invites us to reflect on the importance of preserving and activating architectural heritage, and on the value of memory and legacy in shaping new perspectives for contemporary architecture.

Casa Cravotto: restauración, memoria y diálogo con la ciudad

Dieste House

Material Honesty and Structural Innovation

At MEDIOMUNDO, Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez conceive architecture as a process of research, learning, and open dialogue with both international and local references. Recently, together with students and professors from the University of Frankfurt, we had the opportunity to revisit the Dieste House in Punta Gorda, Montevideo—an essential work by engineer and architect Eladio Dieste, designed and built for his own family between 1961 and 1963.

The house stands out for the richness of its spatial sequences and constructive simplicity, where each transition between interior and exterior is carefully orchestrated. The spatial empathy is evident in the immediacy of the materials and the sincerity with which the structural innovations are displayed: the exposed edges of the brick vaults are shown without artifice, revealing Dieste’s technical mastery and sensitivity.

We are especially grateful to architects Esteban Dieste and Daniel Christoff for their generosity and guidance during the visit, which allowed us to deepen our understanding of a work that continues to inspire new ways of inhabiting and designing, rooted in material honesty and innovation.

Casa Dieste: honestidad material e innovación estructural

Curutchet House

International Dialogue and Spatial Experimentation

At MEDIOMUNDO, Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez understand architecture as a process of research, exchange, and continuous learning. Recently, together with students and professors from the University of Frankfurt, we had the opportunity to revisit the Curutchet House in La Plata, Argentina—an iconic work that exemplifies international collaboration and spatial experimentation.

Designed by Le Corbusier at the request of Dr Curutchet and realised by the Argentine architect Amancio Williams, the house stands as a reference point for modern architecture and remote teamwork. Williams’ contribution was decisive in shaping the final spatial qualities: the sequence of entrances, the turn of the staircase, spatial filters, and the negotiation that allowed the use of the “Modulor” instead of the Argentine regulations of the time. All of this enabled the exploration of new ways of inhabiting and understanding the relationship between architecture, context, and regulation.

This experience reinforces our belief in the importance of learning from major references, exploring architecture as a field open to international dialogue, and continuing to research adaptation, innovation, and spatial quality.

Casa Curutchet: diálogo internacional y experimentación espacial

Cooperative Housing and Sustainable Densification in Erzhausen, Hessen

Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez, founders of MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos, have participated as consultants in the design workshops for the densification and rehabilitation of cooperative and community housing in Erzhausen, Hessen (Germany). This initiative, promoted by Frankfurter Bogen, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Mainz, and the Municipality of Erzhausen, brought together specialists in architecture, urban planning, and cooperative management to explore new models of collective and sustainable housing.

MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos actively contributed to the working groups focused on architecture and rehabilitation, urban and legal frameworks, as well as cooperative management and financing. The results of this participatory process will be published as a reference guide for future cooperative housing projects in the Rhine-Main region, contributing to knowledge transfer and the promotion of innovative solutions in the residential field.

This experience reinforces MEDIOMUNDO’s commitment to applied research, sustainability, and the improvement of quality of life through collaborative and socially responsible architecture.

Vivienda cooperativa y redensificación sostenible en Erzhausen, Hessen

Second Prize in the International Competition for Housing, Kindergarten and Green Spaces in Rosenthal, Stuttgart

Marta Pelegrín and Fernando Pérez, founders of MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos, have been awarded second prize, in collaboration with FISCHER Architekten, in the international competition for the design of a new residential complex, kindergarten, and green spaces in the Rosenthal district of Stuttgart.

MEDIOMUNDO’s proposal is conceived as “a gathering in the park”, arranging the buildings around a sloping garden facing the future Gleisbogen Park, a green space to be created over the former railway tracks. The design encourages the formation of small neighbourhood communities and strengthens the identity of the area, integrating facilities, green spaces, and the reuse of existing buildings.

The project minimises land occupation and optimises sunlight, opting for low-rise buildings with a mixed concrete and timber structure, prefabricated modular façades, terraces, and landscaped penthouses. This hybrid arrangement of residential, educational, and recreational uses lays the foundations for a new urban identity in Rosenthal, in line with MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos’ commitment to sustainability, innovation, and quality of life in the contemporary city.

Segundo premio en el concurso internacional de viviendas, kindergarten y zonas verdes en Rosenthal, Stuttgart