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.
