The North, local and colonial: from pre-Columbian remains to the present day
Argentina is still marked by the remains of the Inca Empire, which ruled almost all of Latin America from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, from Colombia.
The Inca influence is felt especially in the north of the country, on the path of Qhapaq Ñan, which crosses the Province of Tucumán, Jujuy and that of Salta. the "Inca Trail" is a vast road network traced in the 15th century by the Incas to join the confines of the Empire. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. The Qhapaq Ñan travels between 2,500 and 5,000 meters above sea level along the Andes Mountains, on a path or paved road twenty meters wide whose engineering still amazes archaeologists. In the XVIth century, the Spanish conquistadores even compared it to the network of roads of the Roman Empire! The classified part extends over 6,000 km. The work of several centuries, this extraordinary network connects the snowy peaks of the Andes to the coast through tropical rainforests, fertile valleys and deserts. In Argentina, it passes through its highest point: the Abra del Acay pass, at 4,895 meters! It is possible to hike parts of the route, especially in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. In the province of Jujuy, the Qhapaq Ñan can be walked between Santa Ana
and Valle Colorado, on a long trek of 25 km.If you pass through the province of Jujuy, don't miss the cathedral in San Salvador de Jujuy, which houses a sumptuous pulpit as well as carved and gilded redwood confessionals. A short detour to the Casa de Gobierno, a beautiful example of a local house, will allow you to discover the historical treasure: the first Argentine flag, created in 1812 by General Belgrano (1770-1820). San Salvador de Jujuy was destroyed and refounded no less than three times (the last one in 1593), following tribal invasions. The city is a good starting point to continue to the highlands or the Quebrada de Humahuaca
, and venture to the pre-Columbian cities.One of the most famous ancient sites is the pucará of Tilcara in the province of Jujuy, an ancient village that lies in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a famous canyon of tectonic and fluvial origin. The pucarás were both defensive and religious places: there is a sacrificial altar in the center and a necropolis. This is a fortress built by the Tilcara tribe, on a hill overlooking the Rio Grande de Jujuy by sixty meters. Thanks to a reconstruction project, the site is revealed to the visitor as it was nearly ten centuries ago! It is one of the main tourist attractions of the region. We walk through its streets and we slip into the houses with low doors that are spread out between the giant cactus. The architecture is rudimentary: stones piled up without mortar that form both the walls and the structures of the house. The archeological site of Tilcara offers a breathtaking view of the valley. Near this pre-Columbian fortification is a beautiful example of local architecture, unique in its kind and classified as a national historic monument: the Iglesia de la Virgen y San Francisco de Asís, topped with a cactus roof and flanked by its two bell towers. The Quebrada de Humahuaca offers many examples of this popular architecture using cactus wood and adobe. To enjoy it in a relatively unspoiled setting, go to the village of Purmamarca
. Other examples of beautiful churches and thatched cottages with adobe (clay and straw bricks) walls and cactus wood frames can be found throughout northwestern Argentina.In Humahuaca
, the village that gives its name to the canyon, at an altitude of almost 3000 meters, you will find beautiful remains of colonial architecture. The Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de la Candelería y San Antonio, built in 1642, is the oldest Catholic building in Argentina still standing. Its gilded wooden altarpiece, a jewel of the baroque period, dates from 1680. Juan Salas carved corncobs and other traditional motifs into it, making it a uniquely Argentine object.Further south, in the province of Tucumán, we find the sacred city of Quilmes. The eponymous tribe is famous for having resisted the Inca invaders during the fifteenth century, as well as the Spaniards for nearly one hundred and thirty years, before finally falling into their hands in 1667. The Quilmes were very advanced for their time, as testifies its arrangement in terraces overhung by several citadels. The site dominates the surrounding landscape and allows you to discover and walk along its streets lined with half-buried houses - adopted by the inhabitants to protect themselves from the heat - which give the ruined walls the appearance of foundations. Spread over about thirty hectares, a quarter of the site has now been restored. The ruins are accessible at the end of a track from Highway 40, either from Cafayate, 53 km away, or from Tafi del Valle, 78 km away if you are driving. Buses are also available from the same cities, but the 5 km of trail must be done on foot.
Buenos Aires: the pearl of Spanish colonial architecture
From the city fort of Santa María del Buen Ayre that originally stood in place of the Casa Rosada, and from the colonial buildings of the entire neighborhood, all that remains is the Cabildo, on the Plaza de Mayo, some churches (San Francisco, San Pedro Telmo and Montserrat) and the Manzana de las Luces, symbol of the city's original colonial architecture. the "Island of Lights" owes its nickname to the many cultural and intellectual institutions that were developed here, from the old Jesuit school to the old National Library, and the University of Buenos Aires, which was founded in the Church of San Ignacio de Loyola, still visible today, just one hundred meters southwest of Plaza Mayo. The San Ignacio Church is the oldest church in Buenos Aires, as well as the oldest colonial building still active. It was completed in 1675, when it was a rudimentary construction made of cob. Its facade was soon embellished with a second bell tower. The building was embellished by recent restoration work. A part of the old monastery is also accessible, do not miss to go in its beautiful patio also freshly restored. The whole of the Manzana de las Luces is classified as a national historic monument.
Continuing south, towards the neighborhood of San Telmo in particular, you can admire the colonial facades, the wrought iron gates and the patios of the 17th and 18th century bourgeois houses. Along its cobbled streets, you will discover the Casa Minima, barely wider than a doorway: it is the narrowest house in the city, built between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. Although the neighborhood is worth visiting in its entirety, the Bellen church and the Plaza Dorrego are not to be missed to admire the colonial style of the buildings. Don't hesitate to stroll along Calle Defente, which is rarely empty. If you are in the Recoleta neighborhood, visit the Isaac Fernandez-Blanco Museum of Hispanic-American Art, a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture, characterized by its white walls, decorative pilasters and sumptuous woodwork windows.
Of course, it's not all about Buenos Aires! When visiting the country, one realizes that the same architectural evolution occurred in all the cities, especially in Córdoba, Salta "la linda", both rich in colonial heritage, and in Rosario. Colonial architecture is sometimes found in forms that would not be found in the capital, such as the Patagonian estancias, which can be found from the north to the south of the country. The history of these Argentine ranches goes back to the establishment of settlers in Patagonia, and to the first conquests of the area from 1873. On the other hand, the Jesuit missions, classified as world heritage by UNESCO and whose ruins remain in the province of Misiones, are important historical vestiges in the history ofArgentina. The architecture lover will definitely not be bored for a moment!
Colourful houses from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
In the south of Buenos Aires,we'll enjoy strolling through the popular district of La Boca.The architectural peculiarity of the area is this group of houses made of sheet metal or wood, sometimes on stilts, which can be found in particular on the Caminito. One hundred and fifty meters long, this "little path", which took the place of a dry river bed during the 19th century, is a real open-air museum. It was thepainter Benito Quinquela Martin (1890-1977), a resident of La Boca, who came up with the idea of painting the facades of the alleyway in bright colours to save the neighbourhood from certain destruction. The very modest houses were hastily built to accommodate the crowds of immigrants who disembarked in the port and crowded into the dirty courtyards of these conventillos. Today it is still a poor district of the city. It attracts massive crowds of tourists who come here to admire the colourful facades that form a patchwork of bright colours that make the district famous.But it is not only in Boca that we find this culture of colorful houses. Far from there, in the middle of Tierra del Fuego,towards the southern tip of the country, the painted tin and wood houses of the city of Ushuaïa also display bright colors, and stand out admirably on the grandiose landscapes!
The French influence and the curious mix of eclectic architecture
A port city, Buenos Aires has seen influences from all over the world, but mainly from Europe, which made Joseph Kessel (1898-1979) write in 1938: "It has borrowed its features from all the capitals, so that in this city located twelve thousand kilometers from Paris and New York, the Parisian and the North American feel only one surprise: that of not having any It was in the 19th century that the French influence in Argentina transformed the capital into the "Paris of Latin America", and that eclectic architecture developed everywhere in its streets. After the May Revolution in 1810, the Argentine elites wanted to distance themselves from the influence of Spain and turned to France. Invited by President Bernardino Rivadavia (1780-1845), the first French architects came to redecorate Buenos Aires. The frontispiece of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, modeled after the Bourbon Palace, and the Teatro Colón are the respective works of Prosper Catelin (1764-1842) and Charles-Henri Pellegrini (1800-1875). Jules Dormal (1846-1924), a Belgian and a polytechnician, made his mark with the beautiful Pereda Palace: this former private residence is now the residence of the Brazilian ambassador. Jules Dormal participated in the finishing touches of the current version of the Teatro Colón, after the destruction of the first building, designed by Francesco Tamburini (1846-1991) and whose work began in 1908. It houses the ballet, the choir and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. The building was completely restored between 2006 and 2010 to its original glory. With an eclectic style, mixing Italian neo-renaissance and French baroque elements with a lot of gilding, it is one of the most beautiful, and above all, one of the largest theaters in the world. Its main hall is no less than 75 meters deep. It is crowned, at 28 meters high, by a huge dome signed by the Argentine master Raúl Soldi (1905-1994). On the outside, the colossus is no less impressive and spreads over an area of nearly 8,200 square meters between Tucumán Street, Libertad Street, Arturo Toscanini Passage and Calle Cerrito!
The architect of the Palacio San Martín, Alejandro Christophersen (1866-1946), after graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, created his Argentine counterpart: the School of Architecture of Buenos Aires. This Norwegian-born Argentine designed many buildings in the Argentine capital at the beginning of the 20th century, including the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, which was built in 1916 and is still in operation. The interiors of the Palacio San Martín are typical of those of the French aristocracy: moldings, gilding and Empire or Louis XVI furniture, it is like being in a French castle. The facades, with rows of twin pilasters running the full height of the building, are splendid, reminiscent of the European works of the colossal order. Its wrought iron gate is also remarkable. The building, when not in use for official ceremonies, is open to the public. Like all of Christophersen's early works, the Palacio San Martín is strongly influenced by the Second Empire style, although the architect, in his later projects, borrowed from rationalism. This is the case, for example, of the Transradio Building, recognized as one of the most emblematic examples of rationalist architecture in Buenos Aires. It can be seen at the corner of San Martín Street and Corrientes Avenue. Its facade is also famous for its large golden clock, surrounded by the zodiac.
The Museum of Decorative Arts of Buenos Aires is a must-see place to see the diversity of European-influenced design that has flocked to the country. The Errazul Palace is a magnificent example of French eclectic architecture. The Frenchman René Sergent (1865-1927), who had made his name in Paris with the Camondo Museum, was responsible for the design of the building. He was inspired by the Petit Trianon of Versailles for the façade on Sanchez de Bustamante Street, as well as the National Navy Museum for the neoclassical façade on Libertador Avenue. Almost all of its materials are imported from France. The interiors are a true mixture of all the styles that make the greatness of French architecture, and follow one another from room to room, the visitor will have his money's worth: Baroque style dining room, Louis XVI style for the office and the salon de Madame, rococo ballroom while the rooms mix Empire and Art Deco styles. Enough to make one dream. It is this particular mix of styles that precisely defines the eclectic architecture. As you can see, the palace is as much worth a visit as the wealth of collections it contains!
The Art Deco wave
The ultra-rapid growth of the city at the turn of the 20th century gave it a desire for grandeur. The architect of the New York Postal Office was called in to design the imposing building that houses the National Post Office. The imposing neo-Gothic influenced buildings of the center could evoke the great North American metropolises like Chicago or New York. The 1920s and 1930s brought the city some beautiful Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings, some of them quite massive, such as the Confitería del Molino (between Art Deco and Belle Époque), the Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, now transformed into the Heritage Museum, the Palacio Barolo, an emblematic building by Italian architect Mario Palanti (1885-1978), "the first skyscraper inSouth America " inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy (1265-1321), or the works of Francisco Salamone (1897-1959), scattered throughout the province of Buenos Aires. Other architects were even influenced by the archaeological discoveries of the time (Inca, Mayan and Aztec ruins) and were inspired by these images to decorate the facades of their buildings with pyramids and other pre-Columbian symbols!
When it was inaugurated in 1936, the Edificio Kavanagh was the highest skyscraper in Latin America at 120 meters high. It is a tower that still houses luxury housing, in a marked Art Deco style. Its exterior line was designed by the trio of engineer Gregorio Sanchez (1891-1944), and architects Ernesto Lagos (1890-1977) and Luis Maria de la Torre (1890-1975). Geometric and minimalist, it quickly became a favorite site for travelers and city dwellers alike.
The European influence is visible in the main Argentine cities. However, we will linger on the presence of real Swiss chalets in the region of Bariloche! In the province of Rio Negro, this city located at the foot of the Andes, on the southern shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi, was gradually transformed into an alpine resort for the Argentine elite by public development work in the 1930s. The temperate climate and geographic location of the place were considered ideal to compete with tourism to Europe. Alejandro Bustillo (1889-1982) designed theLlao Llao Hotel and the Civic Center
.Contemporary architecture
The Argentine capital also stands out for its modernism. The building of the Bank Hippotecario, as well as the Gallileo Galilei planetarium, are two beautiful examples of the architecture of the 1960s. The bank of the Italian-Argentinian Clorindo Testa (1923-2013) stands out for its brutalist architecture and its pierced facade whose design is often compared to a Swiss cheese!
The architectural scene in Buenos Aires
today is very dynamic. The MALBA building, whose realization was entrusted to the three young Argentines of the AFT design office, Atelman (1968- ), Fourcade (1967- ), Tapia (1969- ), is a great success of the local contemporary architectural creation. This complex geometric assembly is remarkable for its cantilevered section, under which the museum entrance is located. Since 1985, the city has also had its Biennial of Architecture.Puerto Madero remains the playground of many designers who contribute to this architectural vitality. The rehabilitation of warehouses and other industrial buildings in this district, which was still insalubrious a few years ago, has transformed Puerto Madero into an upscale district with exorbitant rents. The red bricks of the old industrial buildings are now home to trendy bars and restaurants, the Universidad Católica Argentina (private) and the Faena Hotel+Universe
, a luxury establishment decorated by Philippe Starck (1949- ). The Puente de la Mujer is an emblematic bridge of Buenos Aires. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (1951- ), using a unique cabled structure, it was built at a very high cost in the middle of the violent economic crisis that hit the country in 2001. It has since become an ironic symbol of a power that prefers to keep up appearances rather than face the harsh realities of its time.
