Early in our time in Buenos Aires I made a stop, and a posting, on the Palacio de Aqua Corrientes – the Palace of Running Water. This time we get a more in depth look at the building, and what it contains.
The exterior is of course amazing. Comprised of over 300,000 terra cotta tiles from Royal Doulton, it is the best looking building in the city.
While it still functions as a pumping and water storage station, as well as an office for the water company, it has a nice museum.
We caught up to a tour that was going to the library, crossing this great tile floor.
A large area off of the main water museum had an art exhibit from recycled materials.
From this space we had a view of the interior sections.
Including the giant water storage tanks.
The Palacio de Aqua Corrients – one amazing place.
In the early part of the 1900s Buenos Aires had plenty of money, as it served as the meat and grain market for much of Europe. As a result there are many grand buildings from that era throughout the city, including numerous in the Art Nouveau style.
Much of the ornamentation of these buildings are on the upper floors, so when we went on a tour with the Art Nouveau club we spent much of the morning looking up – as did everyone who was walking by on the sidewalks.
Our tour met at the very cool Savoy Hotel on Callao. Before we started down the street we checked out the interior – including the bar (which was closed at the time!)
Across the street from the Savoy is a Louis Duboise classic apartment building. Duboise is considered one of the fathers of the movement in Buenos Aires.
The corner of Callao and Mitre have examples on all 4 corners.
Just down the street is the Palacio del Congresso Nacional Argentino, aka – The National Congress Building. While not Art Nouveau, it none the less has a lot of interesting detail.
The tour continued down Rivadavia.
The building at Rivadavia 2009 has a glass dome with more than 950 pieces of mirrored glass. In addition the terrace has iron replicas of the Dragon Gate in Barcelona.
Rivadavia has a number of great buildings.
Even some of the garages in this area are designed in the style.
On Hipolito Yrigoyen are two amazing buildings directly across from each other. At 2562 is Casa Calise, the work of Viginio Colombo.
With numerous statues from Ercole Pasina, it looks like a palace, but since it’s completion in 1911 it has always been an apartment building.
While across the street is another Colombo apartment building with amazing style.
As we returned to Rivadavia the area became far more commercial however there are still some Art Nouveau examples that have survived.
Once Train Station anchors the neighborhood. Built in the Renaissance style in the 1890s, it continues to serve tens of thousands of commuters each day.
We headed over to Corrientes for our final stops, passing by this classic Bank of Argentina building.
Our final stop is Abasto. For nearly 100 years buildings on this site, including this one, served as the main produce market for the city.
Today it is a shopping mall.
But an amazing architectural mall. The Art Nouveau tour was operated by the Art Nouveau Club of Buenos Aires – it was well done and thorough, showing us many places we likely would’ve never seen in the city.
Welcome to Bariloche! The town and region is known for it’s Swiss alpine architecture, beautiful lakes and mountains and chocolate (more on that in a later post).
The lake has been a center of population for the native Mapuche’s long before European settlers arrived. Their culture is celebrated with wooden statues throughout town.
While one of the more famed tours is to drive the ‘Seven Lakes Road’, there are far more than 7 – all of them contain amazingly clear water.
The town itself is hilly – as represented by their take on San Francisco’s Lombard Street.
Every Argentine town of any size has an impressive cathedral, and Baraloche’s is no different. Built in the Neogothic style, it was completed in the 1940s.
As previously noted, much of the architecture is alpine in style.
Somehow a Dutch windmill snuck in.
We spent many kilometers on small dirt roads, but the dust and effort was well worth it.
Outdoor activities abound.
Back in town – the Civic Center is a National Historic Monument. Completed in 1940, it is built in the similar alpine style. With Christmas just a couple of days away it was decorated for the season.
While we had a fail on Saturday with a tour of San Telmo, our day Sunday turned out much better with a tour along with Silvia from Buenos Aires Eclectic of the Barracas Barrio.
We started out at La Casa De Los Leones, the House of the Lions. Home to Eustoquio Diaz Velez, who was a rich land owner in the 1800s. Legend has it that Diaz Velez kept lions on the property, and one night one escaped and killed a boyfriend of one of his daughters.
Across the street is the historic house Ingles Montes.
Many of the buildings along the street have great detail.
Dating from the late 1800s the Santa Lucia Church graces the street amongst the 15 floor apartment buildings.
The area has gone through some gentrification, with these 30 floor apartment buildings standing along side 1800s buildings.
A Buenos Aires staple, the Aguila Chocolate factory was a major neighborhood employer. The company still exists, but the iconic factory is now a grocery store.
As with most Buenos Aires neighborhoods, there is some interesting graffiti.
Lanin Street is so cool I have dedicated an entire posting to it – following this posting.
Plaza Colombia has this great sculpture and flagpole.
While nearby is the spectacular Santa Felicitas Church. Built in German Gothic style it is one of, if not the only, example of this style in the world.
The courtyards are elegant.
The basement has what is known as the Tunnel Museum, with the history of the church and the neighborhood.
They had a collection of nun wardrobes!
Much of the museum was dedicated to the immigrant community.
A local cooking legend, Dona Petrona, was also featured.
The upper level had a nave, but is no longer used as a church – it now serves as a community center.
Many thanks to Silvia for an informative and entertaining tour.
Another sunny Saturday was the perfect day to take a ‘Tours for Tips’ of a neighborhood, this time back in San Telmo. Unfortunately the tour guide didn’t show so we set off on our own – finding plenty of unique sights.
We arrived at the 2nd major rail station in Buenos Aires – Constitucion. It is a classic!
Next stop was Parque Lezama, and the Palacio within.
We continued on into the main part of the neighborhood.
… checked out the shops in and around San Telmo Market.
Santo Doningo Basilica
A close up of the Casa Rosada
Puerto Madero
And finally at the Kirchner Cultural Center. Who needs a tour guide!
Montevideo, Uruguay is a city of approximately 1.3 million people, making up 1/3 of the entire population of the country. As the capital and economic center of Uruguay the city has a eclectic collection of architecture.
Since we arrived by the ‘fast ferry’ from Buenos Aires, the first building that greeted us was the Port Terminal Building.
The Municipal Theater and Museum of Art History is an impressive structure in the Cordon neighborhood.
Along the Avenida 18 July there are a number of impressive buildings leading you to Plaza Indepencia.
The most impressive is Palacio Salvo (also the feature photo). It was designed by Mario Palanti, who designed the Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires. As a result their looks are very similar.
The Ciudadela Building is on the opposite end of Plaza Independencia from the Palacio Salvo. Designed by Raul Sichero and Ernesto Calvo and completed in 1958, it stands 90 meters high.
The Pablo Ferrando Building dates from 1917, serving as a library and coffee shop
The new Presidential Building is also along the Plaza Independencia.
The remains of Miguelete Prison. But fear not – it’s wings now host a contemporary art museum as well as a museum of natural history.
Scenes in Ciudad Vieja (the old city).
A few miles out of the old town you come to the World Trade Center of Montevideo.
This unique building is the Damaso Antonio Larranaga Zoological Museum.
As you reach Punta Gorda the mid rise apartments give way to single and duplex family homes.
We end our tour with the 1876 Punta Brava Lighthouse. It continues to serves it’s original use to this day.
