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

Raul Hernandez
Mundo Social

Details
Casco Viejo, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
3,180 m² / Renovation
Completed 2020

Architect Notes
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.