Marcelo Villafañe (1951), an architect from Rosario, passed away on Wednesday, January 26, as announced on social media by the Colegio de Arquitectos Distrito 2.
"An essential reference for everyone," commented Nicolás Campodónico when *041 CAD2* magazine dedicated its entire tenth issue to "Negro" Villafañe, as his friends and colleagues affectionately called him. At the time, architect and journalist Aníbal Fucaraccio of Rosario's *La Capital* newspaper shared some impressions that many of us consider spot-on: "Villafañe is art in a state of effervescence. A restless spirit, impossible to pigeonhole. Free rein to dream. Boldness and talent to break down boundaries. And the generosity to reveal new perspectives."
Indeed, after a hiatus of several years, the magazine decided to turn its spotlight on him for good reason. Not only did he help form the editorial board that supervised the publication 25 years ago, but his extensive career also made a major contribution to contemporary local architecture.
He was a founding member of Grupo R in 1992, a collective that also included architects Gerardo Caballero and Rafael Iglesia, who sought to shape the contemporary architecture movement in Rosario. Sharing its name with the group founded in Barcelona, the collective focused on promoting architectural culture and disseminating the design philosophies of local figures like Emilio Maisonnave, Augusto Pantarotto, and Jorge Scrimaglio.
In 1977, he established his own practice, earning numerous accolades. These included a First Special Mention at the VI BA/95 CAYC Buenos Aires Architecture Biennale (1995); First Prize in the Costa Central and Former Unit IV National Competition by the Municipal Planning Secretariat of Rosario (1997); the Housing Prize for the 400 Deliot Oeste Housing project (SPV, Municipality of Rosario, 1997); and the National Competition for the Municipal District Center - Northwest Zone Rosario (2001).
He studied architecture at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario from 1970 to 1975. However, his artistic interests had already emerged at age 18, when he began painting in Julio Vanzo's studio, leading to his first solo exhibition at the Van Riel Gallery in Buenos Aires in 1971.
Villafañe, a generous architect and painter—your work will undoubtedly be remembered across the architectural landscape of Rosario, Argentina, and Latin America.
This article was written by Fabian Dejtiar. The translation is powered by AI.
