Bouchard Plaza
Encyclopedia
Bouchard Plaza is an architecturally significant office building in the San Nicolás
ward of Buenos Aires
, Argentina
.
. The daily newspaper, founded by President Bartolomé Mitre
, remains among the most widely-circulated in Argentina.
The company contracted SEPRA Arquitectos for the design of new editorial offices in 1960, wile retaining its Plateresque
Florida Street
headquarters. Inaugurated in 1969, the drab, two-story building (with three underground floors) was enlarged by the addition of four floors to the existing building, and La Nación relocated its headquarters to this new structure upon its completion in 1979. Flanked by leafy Roma Square to the south, the building's shipping and receiving department was shifted to the opposite, Eduardo Madero Avenue side.
The publisher was joined by industrial conglomerate Techint
and Banco Santander Río
in a US$40 million investment for the construction of a new office building. Designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
in 2000, the Postmodern
addition was built on steel columns around the existing building, which allowed for its ongoing use while construction continued. Built by Estudio Aisenson contractors, Bouchard Plaza was inaugurated in 2004 with 26 stories and 100 meters (328 feet) in height; its 65,000 m² (700,000 ft²) made it one of the largest office buildings by floor area in the country.
La Nación relocated its printing house to the southern Barracas district. It reatined its corporate headquarters in Bouchard Plaza, however, and shares the building with the Argentine offices of Techint and Price Waterhouse Coopers, among others. The property was acquired by local real estate developer IRSA in 2007.
San Nicolás, Buenos Aires
San Nicolás is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing most of the city and national government structure with neighboring Montserrat and home to much of Buenos Aires' financial sector...
ward of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Overview
The site of the building, on 557 Bouchard Street, was originally occupied by the printing house of La NaciónLa Nación
La Nación is an Argentine daily newspaper. The country's leading conservative paper, the centrist Clarín is its main competitor. It is the only newspaper in Argentina still published in broadsheet format.-Overview:...
. The daily newspaper, founded by President Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
, remains among the most widely-circulated in Argentina.
The company contracted SEPRA Arquitectos for the design of new editorial offices in 1960, wile retaining its Plateresque
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
Florida Street
Florida Street
Florida Street is an elegant shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913....
headquarters. Inaugurated in 1969, the drab, two-story building (with three underground floors) was enlarged by the addition of four floors to the existing building, and La Nación relocated its headquarters to this new structure upon its completion in 1979. Flanked by leafy Roma Square to the south, the building's shipping and receiving department was shifted to the opposite, Eduardo Madero Avenue side.
The publisher was joined by industrial conglomerate Techint
Techint
Techint is a conglomerate multinational company founded in Milan in September 1945 by Italian industrialist Agostino Rocca and headquartered in Milan and Buenos Aires . Techint comprises more than 100 companies operating worldwide in the following areas of business: Engineering & Construction,...
and Banco Santander Río
Banco Santander Río
Banco Santander Río is a commercial bank and financial services company and affiliate of the Santander, Cantabria based Grupo Santander. Based in Buenos Aires, its banking operations are the third largest in Argentina, as well as the largest among all privately-owned banks in the...
in a US$40 million investment for the construction of a new office building. Designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
in 2000, the Postmodern
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
addition was built on steel columns around the existing building, which allowed for its ongoing use while construction continued. Built by Estudio Aisenson contractors, Bouchard Plaza was inaugurated in 2004 with 26 stories and 100 meters (328 feet) in height; its 65,000 m² (700,000 ft²) made it one of the largest office buildings by floor area in the country.
La Nación relocated its printing house to the southern Barracas district. It reatined its corporate headquarters in Bouchard Plaza, however, and shares the building with the Argentine offices of Techint and Price Waterhouse Coopers, among others. The property was acquired by local real estate developer IRSA in 2007.