Portales

“Quedamos envueltos por la alegría, la química en el ambiente, fascinados por los diversos ritmos de música que salían de todos los rincones.”

Raúl A. Hernández Sosa
General Manager - Grupo Provivienda

Casco Viejo, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
3,180 m² / Restoration + Renovation
Completed 2020
Known colloquially as “La Terraza”, this mixed-use building has stood sentinel over one of the highest points in Casco for nearly three centuries. In 2014 a tragic fire burned thru the entire interior, but left the primary walls - measuring 1-meter-thick in most areas - largely intact. Via Chicago led a years-long effort to salvage the existing structure, document critical details, develop a redevelopment plan, navigate Patrimonio approvals, and bring this classic piece of Panamá back to life. Skilled craftsmen utilized damaged fragments as a guide for recreating lost elements - such as the ornate steel railings which line the second floor balconies. This reborn structure integrates existing calicanto walls - dating from the early 1800s - with exciting new interiors, and is topped by a breathtaking, panoramic terrace.
Architect: Via Chicago
Interiors: Via Chicago
Structural Engineer: Diaz y Asociados, S.A.
MEP Engineer: ITESA
General Contractor: Diaz y Asociados, S.A.
Landscape Architect: Hiedra y Bambú