Architect Javier Sánchez Gómez, founding partner of the firm MSGSSS—renowned for projects such as the ATC Argentina Televisora Color building—passed away on Sunday, February 9, at the age of 83.
In 1962, recent graduates Flora Manteola and Javier Sánchez Gómez joined architects Justo Solsona and Josefina Santos, eventually forming the MSGSSS team, which would later include other prominent members such as Rafael Viñoly, Ignacio Petchersky, and Carlos Sallaberry. That same year, they participated in the competition for the new National Library, winning second place with a radical project—a sort of "tent" covering the elevated book stacks, leaving the reading room on the lower levels. First place went to Clorindo Testa with an inverted proposal, which became the classic of Argentine architecture today: the Mariano Moreno National Library.
Their innovative designs took only a few years to materialize. Works like the Banco Ciudad Florida headquarters (1967–1968), the Rioja Housing Complex (1969–1973), or the ATC Argentina Televisora Color building (1976–1978) explored alternative approaches to modern architecture.
- Related Project
ATC Argentina Televisora Color / Manteola, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona, Viñoly, Sallaberry and Tarsitano
In academia, he was a full professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism (FADU) of the University of Buenos Aires, and went on to serve as Academic Secretary and faculty representative on the Board of Directors. Architect Roberto Busnelli—a FADU UBA professor, former student of all five levels of the Sánchez Gómez Studio, former studio instructor, and long-time employee at his professional practice—wrote a tribute for the faculty's official announcement:
"As part of the generation that began studying at FADU with the return of democracy, I remember those years with great emotion because of the fervor and energy that students and professors shared in the studios. (...) From the very beginning, I was always amazed by the clarity and simplicity with which Javier transmitted his knowledge and experiences to both students and the teaching staff. I still remember with nostalgia those conversations with Campanella and Vivi Margaruchi, who were in charge of the first-year course; they immersed us in the world of architectural culture and were undoubtedly a great source of inspiration and encouragement for everyone."
- Continue reading in the FADU statement 'Farewell Javier' and check out the full biography of Javier Sánchez Gómez on Moderna Buenos Aires.
This article was written by Fabian Dejtiar. The translation is powered by AI.
