Urban Exploration: Crossing Paseo OLA in Palermo

 

•    Route: From the intersection of Thames and Charcas to Plaza Italia.
•    Activity: Urban hiking (Urban Trek / City-Trekking) and low-intensity steady-state urban walking (LISS). An active, yet deeply contemplative journey.

There are corners of the city that change the walker's pace. During one of our walking wanders through Palermo, starting from the corner of Borges and Charcas towards Plaza Italia, we decided to take a detour to get an up-close look at a recent landmark: Paseo OLA (also known as Paseo Gigena).
We had read about it, but architectural theory is one thing, and experiencing the space with your own feet is quite another.

From Concrete Skeleton to Public Viewpoint
The current building has a history. It stands on what used to be the old, grey parking lots of the Hippodrome. Instead of demolition, they opted for an outstanding structural recycling project: an obsolete concrete skeleton adapted, trimmed, and reinforced under the direction of ODA, the renowned New York firm (associated locally with the MSGSSS studio).
What is interesting about this project—beyond its 5 floors and 3 cores—is its sustainable approach. About 80% of the original structure was recycled to bring to life a complex that not only reclaims square meters but also acts as a pedestrian and visual connector between two sectors of Palermo that were once starkly divided by concrete.
For architecture and urban planning enthusiasts: If you want to delve deeper into the technical details and the impact of this project, I highly recommend reading the articles in Clarín Arq and the detailed technical sheet on ArchDaily.

The Walking Experience: Between Silence and Views
Beyond the engineering achievement, what drew us as walkers was the outdoor promenade. The design features a pedestrian ramp and public stairs that open their gates during the day, inviting pedestrians to climb up and cross.
We were lucky enough to find them open. Upon entering, the contrast with the hustle and bustle outside was immediate: there was almost no one there. Just us, a security guard, and a local resident walking her dog. That semi-solitude turned the crossing into an experience almost suspended in time—ideal for taking photos and contemplating the surroundings from a privileged perspective. From up there, the horizon opens up towards the Rosedal (Rose Garden), the Hippodrome tracks, and the Campo de Polo (Polo Fields).
In the heart of the promenade, we stumbled upon a magnificent art installation by Argentine creator Carola Zech. Her work, set on a wooden platform, stands out for its curved, colorful, and reflective metal panels that play with the daylight, returning a fragmented and playful reflection of both the walker and the Buenos Aires sky.

Visual Highlights
For those who want to see the movement, scale, and light of the place in video format, here are some social media posts showing the promenade's atmosphere from different angles:

•    A dynamic tour of the structure and its access points in the BSD Investments Reel.
•    The aerial perspective and the building's dialogue with the green surroundings in this Instagram post.
•    The play of light and the facade design in this visual capture.

Links:
https://www.clarin.com/arq/ola-palermo-nuevo-hito-urbano-ciudad_0_VCnkI6qIgM.html 
https://www.archdaily.com/es/1028985/ola-palermo-oda?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab
https://www.instagram.com/bsd.investments/reel/DZs6gTBlNSh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDffP11p_1D/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZSlw8hIMAf/ 

Walking the city is not just about getting from A to B; it is about discovering how public space is reclaimed for pedestrians. Paseo OLA is undoubtedly a new must-visit spot on our city-trekking routes in the Capital.

Link to the route on Wikiloc: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/walk-through-palermo-caba-ola-palermo-274629542