Argentine architect returns to ancestral home
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Silvana Codina, a 68-year-old architect from Argentina, moved to Montgat, Spain, the town her grandfather left over 140 years ago, after retiring.
Her grandfather emigrated from Catalonia to Argentina as a shipbuilder, and Codina feels she has completed a symmetrical journey by returning to her family’s roots. Codina spent over three decades working as an architect in Argentina, focusing on urban planning, hospitals, and cultural buildings.
She recounts receiving a trip to Barcelona from her father when she was 16, encouraging her to study the work of Antoni Gaudí. This visit solidified her connection to the region and inspired her eventual return. Finding housing proved difficult, but she now lives near the sea in the Maresme region, where she feels she has a dual identity.
Codina views her move not as a retreat, but as an opportunity to begin a new chapter and embrace continued activity in her later years. She remains active in her field, serving as president of the Fundación En Obras, which promotes architectural knowledge between Argentina and other countries. She also enjoys pursuing hobbies like attending philosophical seminars, going to film clubs, and participating in aquagym classes while continuing to travel back to Argentina annually to visit family.
