Palermo is one of the oldest, most historic neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and also one of the fastest growing. There, a former parking garage was recently transformed into Class A office space by ODA, the New York office founded by Eran Chen. The revamped building, OLA Palermo, now boasts workspaces and public retail. Its location at the edge of a beloved public park was capitalized on: a new brewery, terraces, and rooftop spaces all stand to augment the locale’s connection to green space. Aisenson Studio was the local executive architect, and Inscape the landscape architect. From its upper levels, OLA Palermo affords great views of Palermo Hippodrome, one of Argentina’s oldest race tracks. The rooftop terrace affords sweeping views of Palermo. (Alan Karchmer) The city government of Buenos Aires previously bestowed Ámbito Gigena, as the stagnant property was formerly known, to developer BSD Investments. After the transaction, ODA successfully recycled 80 percent of the original parking structure. OLA Palermo has 160,000 square feet of usable space, including 40,000 square feet dedicated to public terraces, dotted by pedestrian paths, cafes, restaurants, retail, and an open-air promenade. Ramps, central to the building’s former use, are now populated with garden beds and ample seating. “This project is a great example of a public-private partnership to create a truly unique typology that will benefit the city and its citizens for decades to come,” Chen said. The architects recycled 80 percent of the original building (Alan Karchmer) The lobby of the office building (Alan Karchmer) The new, large-scale, mixed-use project connects both El Rosedal de Palermo and Palermo Hippodrome with one congruous surface, stitching together previously disconnected parts of the neighborhood. The building’s glass facade reflects the area’s nature back to visitors and pedestrians on the ground plane. Inside, the material palette pulls from existing concrete walls, with added neutral-colored furnishings and plants. Native fauna is interspersed throughout the terraces. (Alan Karchmer) The building is located close by to a large park. (Alan Karchmer) From afar the building stands out for its curves and sculpted concrete, all while seamlessly connecting pedestrians to nature. “We [had] an abandoned concrete infrastructure that [did] not speak at all with its surroundings nor is useful for the city and its inhabitants,” explained Álvaro García Resta, the city government of Buenos Aires’s secretary of urban development, prior to OLA Palermo’s completion. Looking forward, “it won’t be a park made to contemplate,” García Resta added, “it will be a dynamic area, to stroll and explore.”