The restoration and repurposing of the Real de San Carlos Bullring in Colonia, Uruguay

Read the original version in Spanish here.

Published on July 07, 2026

Recently opened in December 2021, the Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos has been restored and repurposed to become a multi-purpose performance venue with a capacity for around 2,500 spectators in the stands and over 2,000 in the arena. Located in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, this work, originally built by architect Josip Marković and engineer Dupuy, adopted a Neo-Mudéjar style, echoing the Spanish bullrings of that era.

As the only bullring still standing in the Río de la Plata region, it was constructed between 1909 and January 1910. Following the ban on bullfighting in 1912, the arena slowly fell into disrepair. In 2017, the Intendencia de Colonia launched a public tender to develop the executive project based on the preliminary design by architect Walter Debenedetti. The firm Sitio Arquitectura was commissioned to produce the technical documentation for the project.

The restoration and repurposing of the Real de San Carlos Bullring in Colonia, Uruguay - Image 4 of 24 — Cortesía de Sitio Arquitectura

The Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos is part of the Nicolás Mihanovich Tourist Complex, which also includes the Hotel Casino, the Power Plant, the Basque Pelota Court, Mihanovich Avenue, and the wooden pier for docking the *Vapor de la Carrera* ferry, which used to bring large numbers of tourists from Buenos Aires to Colonia. Despite its abandoned state, over the years this large-scale building developed deep roots among both local residents of Colonia and the broader Uruguayan public, leading to its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Description by the authors. The intervention at the Plaza de Toros followed clear heritage conservation criteria: respecting and highlighting the historic monument, ensuring authenticity in contemporary additions—which seek to dialogue with rather than imitate the existing structure—and preserving as many original elements as possible.

The repurposing intervention focused on one-third of the property's area, while the remaining two-thirds of the existing structure are preserved as a “consolidated ruin.” In addition, wind load structural studies were crucial for restoring the facade walls and anchoring the metallic structure to the perimeter brick drum. The building features an external diameter of 50 meters, a 25-meter arena (bullring), and a height of approximately 18 meters.

The programmatic proposal utilizes the gallery or ambulatory as a service space for the arena activities (restrooms and vertical circulation), alongside commercial spaces, a convention room, and a bullfighting museum.

The arena, or “redondel,” presented the challenge of adapting to new uses and forms of public appropriation distinct from its original purpose: hosting large crowds for events and accommodating a stage and sound amplification equipment. This adaptation required a careful analysis of the design of any new elements to preserve the site's symbolic character. Consequently, the original arena barrier was redesigned as a zigzagging wooden palisade to control sound reverberation.

For the stands, the original construction system (precast concrete slabs) was respected by designing a new system of folded slabs in the same material.

The building and its surroundings were conceived as a major urban facility. Integrating and using the adjacent area as a public space allows closer contact with the building and supports activities for both the local neighborhood and visitors. Pavements and enclosures were designed to allow flexible public-private use and diverse experiences both inside and outside the building, treating the entire gallery area and the nearby outdoor space as a single unit. The pavement design was of great importance, featuring a “mandala” pattern that honors the centripetal nature of the architecture.

Archicad BIM software was used for the executive project, enabling 3D spatial understanding and management, as well as the generation of comprehensive 2D documentation, including floor plans and elevations. The curved geometry of the brick walls and the delicate metal structure made two-dimensional representation complex when using standard CAD digital tools.

The palette of materials is limited to just a few elements: iron, glass, brick, concrete, wood, and cast-in-place monolithic terrazzo flooring.

A Heritage Interpretation program called “Open for Construction” was designed for guided tours during the works, allowing thousands of visitors to access architectural plans and learn about the details of the intervention.

Project: Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos
Location: Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Year of construction: 1910 (original), 2018-2021 (intervention)
Area: 12,000 m2
Authors: Intendencia de Colonia / Arch. Walter Debenedetti, Sitio Arquitectura / Arch. Fernando Pereira Figuerón
Executive Project Coordinators: Technical Coordinator Eduardo Pezzani, BIM Managers: Diego Brito, Guillermo Perez
Construction Supervision: Walter Debenedetti, Julio Brancatti
Consultants:
Structure: BAC Consultores (Spain), Ramiro Chaer (Uruguay)
Lighting: Javier Sande
Electrical: Fernando Chiaramello
Plumbing: DICA SRL
Fire Protection Consultant: Isabel Alanis
Acoustic Design: Gonzalo Fernandez Breccia
Heritage Interpretation: Bernardo Martins (Spain)
Heritage Methodology: Felicidad París (Argentina)
Contractor: CONAMI
Funding: IDB/OPP