It is said that when Le Corbusier arrived in Greece, he was struck by its architecture—the Hellenistic temples, their regulating system of proportions, and their monochromia. Many of these elements went on to influence his work. What would have surprised the architect, however, is that Greek temples were actually not monochromatic; in fact, they were far from it. Blue, red, green, and even gold: these were the vibrant colors that enveloped Greek buildings. Friezes, pediments, colonnades, and even sculptures—every inch was coated in color derived from pigments. The passage of time, wars, exposure to the sun, rain, and wind, along with the perishable nature of the pigments, caused the surfaces to fade, leaving the cold marble exposed.

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From March through June, “Real,” the new exhibition by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich, will be on display in Córdoba, Argentina.

Wladimiro Acosta built a series of residences that stand as canonical examples of modern architecture in Argentina. One prominent case is the Miramontes House, designed in late 1938 and completed in early 1940 as a vacation home for a couple and their two children in the city of La Falda, in the hills of Córdoba.

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It seems almost impossible to imagine that a single public initiative could have spawned most of the national highways we have today in Argentina, established tourism as an economic driver for the country, consolidated the national oil company YPF against foreign competition, and driven a large part of the development of Argentine modern architecture.

Yet it is entirely plausible when we look at one of the largest territorial interventions in the country's history—a vanguard of modernity that established the automobile as a mass means of transportation in our region.

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Córdoba is one of the pioneer cities in the implementation of landscape architecture as we know it today.  Moving beyond the paved plazas of the colonial era, it was the first city in the country where the renowned French architect and landscape designer Carlos Thays designed a major urban park: Parque Sarmiento. Inaugurated in 1911 along the ravines that then marked the city's limits, the park became an integral part of the Nueva Córdoba neighborhood.

Similar initiatives followed over the years, creating highly characteristic green corridors such as the canalization and urban development of La Cañada. Later, during the 1970s and 1980s, the creation of pedestrian streets in the downtown area featured the incorporation of green pergolas, paved surface treatments, and plaza designs—such as Plaza Italia and Plaza España—led by architect Miguel Ángel Roca.

Today, this same emphasis on public and green space is no longer evident. The city currently has only 8 square meters of green space per inhabitant, falling short of the 10 to 15 square meters recommended by the WHO.

As mentioned in our previous article on retail stores under 100 square meters, the spatial distribution of commercial spaces is a determinant for its success. Not only does it address adequate logistics and the circulation of customers, but the variations and innovations that will enable a more efficient and original space.

Below, we've selected projects from our site, with their plan and section, that can help inspire your next project.

Through a sculptural intervention, nationally award-winning artist Romina Castiñeira reinvents the sculpture courtyard of the Caraffa Museum in Córdoba, Argentina, offering a new sensory experience that addresses the spatial condition of inside and outside.

Designing commercial spaces has historically been a challenge. In these environments, spatial distribution plays a fundamental role, even more so if we have a few extra square meters. With this being said, the study of these spaces in plan and section can be a great starting point. It not only allows us to analyze the logistics and circulation of customers but also helps us find efficient variations and innovations that will enable your store to stand out from the others.

Below, we've selected a series of 25 examples in plan and section that can help you understand how different architects faced the challenge.

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