The Uruguayan Wood Industry Has Come of Age

SPECIES FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE: Red Grandis

FIND INFORMATION ON THIS AND ADDITIONAL SPECIES AT WWW.IWPAWOOD.ORG

**PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLÁS VIDAL **

The seaside resort town of Punta del Este recently became home to Uruguay’s first world-class contemporary art museum, the Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA). The museum opened on January 8, 2022, and features Uruguayan art, art from the River Plate region, as well as art from Europe and the Americas. It opened with a retrospective exhibition of acclaimed artistic duo Christo and Jeanne- Claude’s work, shown for the first time in South America.

Spread over a lush, 90-acre landscape, the MACA will position Uruguay on the map of major international exhibitions. It will also promote and enhance the development of local and national artists and artisans, as well as Uruguayan film and theatre arts.

The project is the culmination of a vision by Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry and is the final in a sequence of structures built by the Pablo Atchugarry Foundation. The museum permanently houses the Atchugarry collection, which includes more than 50 works by Latin American and European artists such as Julio LeParc, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Joaquin Torres Garcia, Ernesto Neto and Carmelo Arden Quin, among others.

What Exactly is Red Grandis?

Eucalyptus grandis is indigenous to eastern Australia, where it is referred to as “rose gum” or “flooded gum.” E. grandis has been established in plantations in northern Uruguay where it is sold under the trade name “Red Grandis.” The timber thrives in warm climates and plantations also prosper in other parts of South America, Africa, South Asia and elsewhere.

Red Grandis is a versatile wood that stands out from the hardwood crowd. It is straight-grained and medium-textured and available in hues ranging from pink to rose to creamy white. It has been compared to Cherry Wood or Hard Maple. The end-grain of Red Grandis has medium pores diffused in diagonal rows. It also has fine lines visible with a magnifying lens.

E. grandis is extremely durable and resistant to fungus, rot, mold, mildew and insects. Many architects and designers choose this wood as a cost-effective alternative to more expensive hardwoods like Mahogany and Sapele as well as for its performance, stability, natural durability, resistance to weather and insects, and, of course, its pleasing aesthetics.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUACO GONZALEZ

THE ATCHUGARRY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MACA) IS SPREAD OVER A LUSH, 90-ACRE LANDSCAPE IN THE SEASIDE RESORT TOWN OF PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLÁS VIDAL

THE PROJECT IS THE CULMINATION OF A VISION BY URUGUAYAN SCULPTOR PABLO ATCHUGARRY AND IS THE FINAL IN A SEQUENCE OF STRUCTURES BUILT BY THE PABLO ATCHUGARRY FOUNDATION. THE MUSEUM PERMANENTLY HOUSES THE ATCHUGARRY COLLECTION, WHICH INCLUDES MORE THAN 50 WORKS BY LATIN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN ARTISTS SUCH AS JULIO LEPARC, CARLOS CRUZ-DIEZ, JOAQUIN TORRES GARCIA, ERNESTO NETO AND CARMELO ARDEN QUIN.

“This museum contains works that embody the dreams of many artists. It is a project not only for Uruguay, but for all humanity,” said Pablo Atchugarry. “It has very deep roots in Uruguay and is a way to make Uruguayan art known to the world.”

In addition to being an attractive cultural destination, the museum building and its surroundings showcase the construction possibilities the development of the wood industry in Uruguay offers. MACA was designed by celebrated Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott and prominently features the use of Red Grandis (E. grandis) in both structural and non-structural applications as well as furniture and cladding. Simonin carried out the study, manufacture, and assembly of the glued laminated Red Grandis.

“I found in Red Grandis timber the possibility of making the work of art that Pablo Atchugarry commissioned,” said Ott. “The versatility of this material allowed me to achieve the geometry of double curvature that resembles Pablo’s sculptures. I also found in Red Grandis the warmth I was looking for in an art space surrounded by nature.” Builders prize Red Grandis for its workability and lack of knots. The wood is flexible and absorbs glues, stains, and finishes well.

Red Grandis lumber for MACA was sourced from URUFOR, a Uruguayan company that has been instrumental in developing the country’s forestry industry. The company’s E. Grandis plantations in northeastern Uruguay are sustainably managed and 100% reforested. All URUFOR timber is FSC certified. FSC is a certification framework based on environmental, social, and economical principles and criteria, with an overall vision of providing current forest product needs without compromising forest health for future generations.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @SURFOTO.UY STUDIO

Learn More About How Red Grandis is Grown.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLÁS VIDAL

MACA WAS DESIGNED BY CELEBRATED URUGUAYAN ARCHITECT CARLOS OTT AND PROMINENTLY FEATURES THE USE OF RED GRANDIS (E. GRANDIS) IN BOTH STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS FURNITURE AND CLADDING.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @SURFOTO.UY STUDIO

PHOTOS COURTESY OF @SURFOTO.UY STUDIO

The Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art building spans over 25 meters and is unique in its shape. Due to its geometry, each piece that makes up the structure of the building is different.

“For an architect it is difficult to make a museum. It has to be a building that fulfills a second role,” Carlos Ott explained. “The idea is not to go see the building, but the works of art that are exhibited. At the same time, the building cannot disappear.”

“Art is the legacy that we leave to humanity. It is what inspires human beings to continue creating and innovating,” said Atchugarry. “To be able to exhibit and support Uruguayan art and art creators with this museum is a great honor.”

Catch a glimpse of the grand opening of the Fundación Atchugarry Inauguración MACA by DTV Producciones.