Buenos Aires House of Culture
Encyclopedia
The Buenos Aires House of Culture is an architectural landmark in the Montserrat
section of the Argentine capital.
's second-largest newspaper, La Prensa
, led its influential proprietor in 1894, José Clemente Paz, to purchase a 1300 m² (14,000 ft²) lot on the newly-opened Avenida de Mayo
, and he commissioned local architects Carlos Agote and Alberto Gainza to design a new headquarters at the site. Agote and Gainza, both graduates of the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, drew from their training in Paris
to create a Beaux-Arts design, beginning with a façade inspired by French architect
Charles Garnier
.
Completed in 1898, the new La Prensa offices was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by around 20,000. The Beaux-Arts exterior is notable also for its spire, which is topped by a gilt bronze monument to freedom of the press
represented by Pallas Athena and created by French sculptor Maurice Bouval
(of Thibaut Frères). Bouval's Athena stands 50 m (164 ft) above the ground and holds an electric lamp representing Prometheus
' sacred fire.
The spire also contains a siren, installed in 1900 to symbolically herald news La Prensa considered singular milestones. The siren has been rung five times over the decades: on news of the assassination of Umberto I, the King of Italy
, in 1900; on the landing of the Apollo 11
spacecraft on the moon; on the Argentine National Football Team
's first FIFA World Cup
, in 1978; on the invasion of the Falkland Islands
by the last dictatorship
, in 1982; and on the return of democracy with the inaugural of President Raúl Alfonsín
, in 1983.
The building's interior was completed with mostly imported materials, including Spargne elevators from the United States
, as well as French fixtures such as Boulanger mosaic tiles, clocks by Paul Garnier and wrought-iron work from Val d'Osne. The first floor is centered around the Golden Salon, where Paz opened the Popular Conference Institute, celebrated during the twentieth century for its weekly literary readings and lectures (notably those of Jorge Luis Borges
). The salon was decorated with frescoes by Reynaldo Giudici and Nazareno Orlandi, both Italian painters. Paz also opened an extensive library in the building, which grew to over 80,000 volumes and at one time maintained several local branches, as well as one in Paris.
The conservative La Prensa was expropriated by the administration of Juan Perón
in 1951, by which the building became property of the CGT
labor union. The bronze Minerva was removed by the CGT in 1952, allegedly on fears that it could collapse (that this was a removal of a monument representing freedom of the press has not been lost on historians). The statue was reinstalled in 1956, and while press freedom restrictions otherwise worsened following Perón's overthrow, La Prensa was restored to the Paz family. The newsdaily's decline in readership helped lead to the company sale of the landmark building in 1988, however, and it became the Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires.
Known since then as the Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture), the building was declared a National Historic Monument in 1995. A passageway built to connect it to the adjacent Buenos Aires City Hall
was converted into the Ana Díaz Salon, where art exhibits are hosted.
Montserrat, Buenos Aires
Monserrat is a neighbourhood located in the east of the Buenos Aires CBD. The district features some of the most important public buildings in Buenos Aires, including city hall, the city legislature, Casa Rosada, the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires and the Libertador Building , among...
section of the Argentine capital.
Overview
The outmoded headquarters of what was then ArgentinaArgentina
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...
's second-largest newspaper, La Prensa
La Prensa (Buenos Aires)
La Prensa is an Argentine daily newspaper.Based in Buenos Aires, it was founded on 18 October 1869 by José C. Paz. La Prensa ranked among the most widely circulated dailies in Argentina in subsequent decades, earning a reputation for conservatism and support for British interests in Argentina...
, led its influential proprietor in 1894, José Clemente Paz, to purchase a 1300 m² (14,000 ft²) lot on the newly-opened Avenida de Mayo
Avenida de Mayo
Avenida de Mayo , is an avenue in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. It connects the Plaza de Mayo with Congressional Plaza, and extends in a west-east direction before merging into Avenida Rivadavia.-History and overview:...
, and he commissioned local architects Carlos Agote and Alberto Gainza to design a new headquarters at the site. Agote and Gainza, both graduates of the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, drew from their training in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to create a Beaux-Arts design, beginning with a façade inspired by French architect
French architecture
The history of French architecture runs in parallel with its neighbouring countries in Europe, with France being home to both some of the earliest pioneers in many architectural styles, and also containing some of the finest architectural creations of the continent.-Roman:The architecture of...
Charles Garnier
Charles Garnier (architect)
Charles Garnier was a French architect, perhaps best known as the architect of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.-Early life:...
.
Completed in 1898, the new La Prensa offices was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by around 20,000. The Beaux-Arts exterior is notable also for its spire, which is topped by a gilt bronze monument to freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
represented by Pallas Athena and created by French sculptor Maurice Bouval
Maurice Bouval
Maurice Bouval was a French sculptor of the Art Nouveau period.From 1880 to the first World War, he created a large number of bronze statues or objects including chandeliers, candelabras or table lamps. His main works are Ophelia, Femme assise, Jeune femme, Le Sommeil, Femme aux pavots, Le Secret...
(of Thibaut Frères). Bouval's Athena stands 50 m (164 ft) above the ground and holds an electric lamp representing Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
' sacred fire.
The spire also contains a siren, installed in 1900 to symbolically herald news La Prensa considered singular milestones. The siren has been rung five times over the decades: on news of the assassination of Umberto I, the King of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1900; on the landing of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
spacecraft on the moon; on the Argentine National Football Team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
's first FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, in 1978; on the invasion of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
by the last dictatorship
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
, in 1982; and on the return of democracy with the inaugural of President Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
, in 1983.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as French fixtures such as Boulanger mosaic tiles, clocks by Paul Garnier and wrought-iron work from Val d'Osne. The first floor is centered around the Golden Salon, where Paz opened the Popular Conference Institute, celebrated during the twentieth century for its weekly literary readings and lectures (notably those of Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
). The salon was decorated with frescoes by Reynaldo Giudici and Nazareno Orlandi, both Italian painters. Paz also opened an extensive library in the building, which grew to over 80,000 volumes and at one time maintained several local branches, as well as one in Paris.
The conservative La Prensa was expropriated by the administration of Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
in 1951, by which the building became property of the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
labor union. The bronze Minerva was removed by the CGT in 1952, allegedly on fears that it could collapse (that this was a removal of a monument representing freedom of the press has not been lost on historians). The statue was reinstalled in 1956, and while press freedom restrictions otherwise worsened following Perón's overthrow, La Prensa was restored to the Paz family. The newsdaily's decline in readership helped lead to the company sale of the landmark building in 1988, however, and it became the Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires.
Known since then as the Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture), the building was declared a National Historic Monument in 1995. A passageway built to connect it to the adjacent Buenos Aires City Hall
Buenos Aires City Hall
Buenos Aires City Hall is the executive seat of government of the Argentine capital.-Building:The 1880 Federalization of Buenos Aires was followed by a boom in foreign trade and European immigration, and in 1890, Mayor Francisco P. Bollini commissioned the construction of a new city hall...
was converted into the Ana Díaz Salon, where art exhibits are hosted.