The Revival of a Barracas Icon: Behind the Recovery of the Former Alpargatas Factory

With broken windows, damaged roofs, warped beams and floors battered by damp, the former Alpargatas factory in Barracas is preparing for a radical transformation. Palacio Molina still carries the monumental character of the late 19th century, but three decades without proper care have left their mark.

The recovery is already under way, with the clock ticking toward October 1, when the 41st edition of Casa FOA will open. The architecture, interior design and landscaping exhibition will run until November 1 and launch a new chapter for the historic complex, once a productive powerhouse between Avenida Patricios and the streets of Lamadrid, Olavarría and Azara.

Architects and interior designers are working against the deadline to restore floors, recover wooden and metal fittings, repair walls and return part of the building's original identity to its 5,700 square meters. The oldest section, built in brick in the late 19th century by Scotsman Robert Fraser and Basque builder Juan Echegaray, retains much of its original structure. Later additions follow a different construction logic, dominated by concrete.

The exhibition will occupy 42 spaces, including kitchens, libraries, a café, public bathrooms, studios, wellness areas and auditoriums. The aim is to explore new ways of inhabiting and experiencing architecture without erasing the building's memory. Many of the spaces will retain cracks and worn surfaces as visible evidence of the passage of time. Around the current vacant lot, where dry vegetation and rainwater puddles have accumulated, the project will create gardens and green pathways.

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It is an enormous challenge. This place has so much history.