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 13th to the 15th century, from Colombia onwards.
The Inca influence is most strongly felt in the north of the country, on the Qhapaq Ñan trail, which crosses the Province of Tucumán, Jujuy and Salta. the "Inca Trail" is a vast network of roads laid out in the 15th century by the Incas to reach the farthest reaches of the Empire. It was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2014. The Qhapaq Ñan runs between 2,500 and 5,000 metres above sea level along the Andes, on a twenty-metre-wide paved path or road whose engineering still amazes archaeologists. In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadores even compared it to the network of roads of the Roman Empire! The listed section extends over 6,000 km. The work of several centuries, this extraordinary network links the snow-capped peaks of the Andes to the coast, passing through tropical rainforests, fertile valleys and deserts. In Argentina, it passes through its highest point: the Abra del Acay pass, at 4,895 metres! It's possible to hike parts of the route, particularly in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. In Jujuy province, the Qhapaq Ñan can be walked between Santa Ana and Valle Colorado, on a long 25 km trek.
If you're passing through Jujuy province, be sure to visit the cathedral in San Salvador de Jujuy, with its sumptuous pulpit and carved and gilded redwood confessionals. A short detour to the Casa de Gobierno, a fine example of a local mansion, 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 in 1593), following tribal invasions. The town is a good starting point for continuing on to the highlands or Quebrada de Humahuaca, and venturing out to pre-Columbian cities.
One of the best-known ancient sites is the pucará of Tilcara in Jujuy province, an ancient village in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a famous canyon of tectonic and fluvial origin. The pucarás were both defensive and religious sites, with 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 now revealed to visitors as it might have been almost ten centuries ago! It's one of the region's main tourist attractions. You can wander through the narrow streets and slip into the houses with their low doorways set between giant cacti. The architecture is rudimentary: stones stacked without mortar form both the low walls and the structures of the house. The archaeological site of Tilcara offers a breathtaking view of the valley. The Iglesia de la Virgen y San Francisco de Asís, with its cactus-wood roof and two bell towers, is a unique example of local architecture and a National Historic Monument. The Quebrada de Humahuaca offers numerous examples of this popular architecture using cactus wood and adobe. To enjoy them in a relatively unspoilt setting, head for the village of Purmamarca. Other examples of pretty churches and thatched cottages with adobe walls (clay and straw bricks) and cactus wood frames can be found throughout north-western Argentina.
In Humahuaca, the village that gives its name to the canyon, at an altitude of almost 3,000 metres, you'll find some fine examples of colonial architecture. The Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de la Candelería y San Antonio, built in 1642, is Argentina's oldest surviving Catholic building. Its gilded wooden altarpiece, a jewel of the Baroque period, dates from 1680. Juan Salas engraved it with corncobs and other traditional motifs, making it a uniquely Argentinean object.
Further south, in the province of Tucumán, lies the sacred city of Quilmes. The eponymous tribe is famous for having resisted the Inca invaders during the 15th century, as well as the Spaniards for almost one hundred and thirty years, before finally falling into their hands in 1667. The Quilmes were far ahead of their time, as evidenced by the terraced layout overlooked by several citadels. The site dominates the surrounding landscape, allowing visitors to explore the narrow 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. Covering some 30 hectares, a quarter of the site has now been restored. The ruins can be reached at the end of a track off Route 40, either from Cafayate, 53 km away, or from Tafi del Valle, 78 km away if you're driving. Bus routes are also available from the same towns, but you'll have to walk the 5 km on foot.
Buenos Aires: the pearl of Spanish colonial architecture
From the city fort of Santa María del Buen Ayre, which originally stood in place of the Casa Rosada, and the colonial buildings of the entire district, all that remains is the Cabildo on the Plaza de Mayo, a few churches (San Francisco, San Pedro Telmo y Montserrat) and the Manzana de las Luces, a symbol of the city's original colonial architecture. the "Islet of Lights" owes its nickname to the many cultural and intellectual institutions that developed here, from the former Jesuit college to the former National Library, not to mention the University of Buenos Aires, which was founded in the Church of San Ignacio de Loyola, still visible today, just a hundred meters south-west of Plaza Mayo. The San Ignacio church is the oldest church in Buenos Aires, as well as the oldest colonial building still in use. Construction was completed in 1675, when it was just a rudimentary wattle-and-daub structure. A second bell tower was soon added to the façade. Recent restoration work has embellished the building. Part of the old monastery is also open to the public, and a visit to its beautiful patio, also recently restored, is a must. The entire Manzana de las Luces is a listed national historic monument.
Continuing further south, towards the San Telmo district in particular, you can admire the colonial facades, wrought-iron railings and patios of the 17th- and 18th-century bourgeois houses. The Casa Mínima, barely wider than a doorway, is the narrowest house in the city, built between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Although the district is well worth a visit in its entirety, don't miss the Bellen church and the Plaza Dorrego to admire the colonial style of the buildings. Don't hesitate to stroll along Calle Defente, whose crowds rarely dry up. If you're passing through the Recoleta district, head for the Isaac Fernandez-Blanco Museum of Hispano-American Art, a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture, characterized by white walls, decorative pilasters and sumptuous woodwork windows.
Of course, it's not all about Buenos Aires! A visit to the country reveals that the same architectural evolution has taken place in every city, including Córdoba, Salta "la linda", both rich in colonial heritage, and Rosario. Colonial architecture sometimes takes on forms that would be impossible to find 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 dates back to the settlement of Patagonia, and the first conquests of the area from 1873 onwards. On the other hand, the Jesuit missions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose ruins remain in the province of Misiones, are important historical relics in the history ofArgentina. Architecture lovers will never be bored!
Colourful houses from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
In the south of Buenos Aires, you'll enjoy strolling through the popular district of La Boca. The area's distinctive architectural feature is the collection of tin or wooden houses, sometimes on stilts, found along the Caminito. One hundred and fifty meters long, this "little road", which took the place of the bed of a river that dried up in the 19th century, is a veritable open-air museum. It was the painter Benito Quinquela Martin (1890-1977), a resident of La Boca, who had the idea of painting the alley's facades in bright colors to save the neighborhood from certain destruction. The very modest houses were hastily built to accommodate the crowds of immigrants who disembarked at the port and crowded into the dirty courtyards of these conventillos. This is still one of the city's poorest districts. It attracts massive numbers of tourists who come to admire the colorful facades that form the patchwork of bright colors for which the district is famous.
But it's not just in La Boca that we find this culture of colorful houses. Far away, in the heart of Tierra del Fuego, towards the southern tip of the country, the painted tin and wood houses of the town ofUshuaïa are also brightly colored, and stand out admirably against the grandiose landscape!
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, as Joseph Kessel (1898-1979) wrote in 1938: "It has borrowed its features from all capitals, so much so that in this city 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 French influence in Argentina transformed the capital into the "Paris of Latin America", and eclectic architecture began to flourish throughout its streets. After the May Revolution in 1810, Argentina's elite 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 Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, modeled on the Palais Bourbon, and the Teatro Colón are the work of Prosper Catelin (1764-1842) and Charles-Henri Pellegrini (1800-1875) respectively. Jules Dormal (1846-1924), a Belgian polytechnician, made his name with the beautiful Palais Pereda: this former private residence is now the home of the Brazilian ambassador. Jules Dormal participated in the finishing touches to the current version of Teatro Colón, after the destruction of the first building, designed by Francesco Tamburini (1846-1991) and on which work began in 1908. It houses the ballet, the chorus and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. Between 2006 and 2010, the building was completely restored to its former glory. Eclectic in style, blending Italian neo-Renaissance and French Baroque elements with a wealth of gilding, it is one of the most beautiful and, above all, one of the largest theaters in the world. The main auditorium is no less than 75 metres deep. It is crowned, at a height of 28 metres, by an immense dome designed by the Argentinian master Raúl Soldi (1905-1994). On the outside, the colossus is no less impressive, stretching over an area of almost 8,200 m² between Calle Tucumán, Calle Libertad, Calle Arturo Toscanini and Calle Cerrito!
The architect of the Palacio San Martín, Alejandro Christophersen (1866-1946), graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and founded his Argentine counterpart: the Buenos Aires School of Architecture. This Norwegian-born Argentinian designed many of the capital's buildings in the early 20th century, including the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, still in use today, built in 1916. The interiors of the Palacio San Martín are typical of those of the French aristocracy: moldings, gilding and Empire or Louis XVI furniture make you feel like you're in a French château. The facades, punctuated by rows of twin pilasters running the full height of the building, are splendidly reminiscent of European works of the colossal order. Its wrought-iron gate is also remarkable. When not in use for official ceremonies, the building is open to the public. Like all Christophersen's early works, the Palacio San Martín is strongly influenced by the Second Empire style, although the architect borrowed from rationalism in his later projects. 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 stands on the corner of San Martín Street and Corrientes Avenue. Its façade is also famous for its large golden clock, surrounded by the zodiac.
The Buenos Aires Museum of Decorative Arts is a must-see to appreciate the diversity of European-influenced design that flocked to the country. The Palais Errazul, a building housing some four thousand objects from its collections, 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 building's design. He drew inspiration from the Petit Trianon in Versailles for the façade on Calle Sanchez de Bustamante, and from the Musée National de la Marine for the neoclassical façade on Avenida Libertador. Almost all materials are imported from France. The interiors are a veritable blend of all the styles that make French architecture great, and follow one another from room to room, giving visitors their money's worth: Baroque-style dining room, Louis XVI style for the study and Madame's salon, Rococo ballroom, while the bedrooms blend Empire and Art Deco styles. Enough to make anyone dream. It's this distinctive blend of styles that defines 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 city's rapid growth at the turn of the 20th century led to a desire for grandeur. The architect of the New York Postal Office was commissioned to design the imposing building housing the National Post Office. The center's imposing neo-Gothic buildings are reminiscent of the great North American metropolises of Chicago and New York. The 1920s and 1930s brought some fine Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings to the city, some of them quite massive, such as the Confitería del Molino (a cross between Art Deco and Belle Époque), the Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, now transformed into a Heritage Museum, the Palacio Barolo, a landmark building by Italian architect Mario Palanti (1885-1978), "South America 's first skyscraper" inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy (1265-1321), and the works of Francisco Salamone (1897-1959), scattered throughout Buenos Aires province. Other architects were even influenced by the archaeological discoveries of the time (Inca, Mayan and Aztec ruins) and drew inspiration from 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 tallest skyscraper in Latin America at 120 metres. 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 of travelers and city dwellers alike.
The European influence is visible in Argentina's main cities. However, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out the presence of genuine Swiss chalets in the Bariloche region! In the Rio Negro province, this town at the foot of the Andes, on the southern shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi, was gradually transformed into an alpine resort for Argentina's elite by public development work in the 1930s. The resort's temperate climate and geographical location were considered ideal for competing with tourism to Europe. Alejandro Bustillo (1889-1982) designed theHotel Llao Llao and the Civic Center.
Contemporary architecture
Argentina's capital also stands out for its modernism. The Bank Hippotecario building and the Gallileo Galilei planetarium are two fine examples of 1960s architecture. The bank designed by Italian-Argentinian Clorindo Testa (1923-2013) stands out for its brutalist architecture and pierced façade, whose design is often compared to a Swiss cheese!
The architectural scene in Buenos Aires today is very dynamic. The MALBA building, designed by three young Argentinians from the AFT design office, Atelman (1968- ), Fourcade (1967- ) and Tapia (1969- ), is a fine example of local contemporary architecture. The building's complex geometry is remarkable for its cantilevered section, under which the museum entrance is located. Since 1985, the city has also hosted 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 just a few years ago, has transformed Puerto Madero into an upmarket district with exorbitant rents. The red bricks of the old industrial buildings are now home to trendy bars and restaurants, the private Universidad Católica Argentina and the Faena Hotel+Universe, a luxury establishment designed by Philippe Starck (1949- ).
The Puente de la Mujer is an emblematic bridge in Buenos Aires. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (1951- ), using a cable structure unique in the world, it was erected at great cost in the midst of the country's violent economic crisis in 2001. Since then, it has become an ironic symbol of a government that prefers to keep up appearances rather than face up to the harsh realities of the times.
