La Plata City Hall
Encyclopedia
La Plata City Hall is the executive seat of government of the city of La Plata
, the capital of Buenos Aires Province
, Argentina
.
's proposal for the establishment of a new capital for the paramount Province of Buenos Aires, useful to the mollification of the province's Independence-leaning gentry, was quickly approved by the Argentine Congress following the 1880 Federalization of Buenos Aires. Overseeing a furor of construction, Rocha inaugurated the city of La Plata on November 19, 1882, creating the first planned city in South America, and its first with electric lighting.
Planned by Pedro Benoit
, La Plata's diagonal streets would be anchored by a central plaza, named in honor of Primera Junta
statesman Mariano Moreno
. Moreno Plaza is overlooked from the south by the Neogothic Cathedral
, designed by Benoit and Ernesto Meyer, and from the north by City Hall, designed by Meyer and German architect Hubert Stier (who created the Hannover
and Bremen Railway terminals
, among other important works).
Construction on the project began in June 1883, and was completed in 1888. The 14,400 m² (155,000 ft²) building, an eclecticist design based on German Renaissance Revival architecture, features Romanesque
interiors, including two courtyards, City Council chambers, and the Salón Dorado ("Gold Room"), a formal reception hall accessed via a grand, marble staircase, set in Slovenia
n oak floors, and featuring German vitreaux, and a 1.2 ton spider chandelier
.
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, the capital of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, 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
Governor Dardo RochaDardo Rocha
Dardo Rocha was an Argentine naval officer, lawyer and politician best known as the founder of the city of La Plata and of the University of La Plata.-Life and times:...
's proposal for the establishment of a new capital for the paramount Province of Buenos Aires, useful to the mollification of the province's Independence-leaning gentry, was quickly approved by the Argentine Congress following the 1880 Federalization of Buenos Aires. Overseeing a furor of construction, Rocha inaugurated the city of La Plata on November 19, 1882, creating the first planned city in South America, and its first with electric lighting.
Planned by Pedro Benoit
Pedro Benoit
Pedro Benoit was an Argentine architect, engineer and urbanist best known for designing the layout of the city of La Plata.-Life and times:...
, La Plata's diagonal streets would be anchored by a central plaza, named in honor of Primera Junta
Primera Junta
The Primera Junta or First Assembly is the most common name given to the first independent government of Argentina. It was created on 25 May 1810, as a result of the events of the May Revolution. The Junta initially had representatives from only Buenos Aires...
statesman Mariano Moreno
Mariano Moreno
Mariano Moreno was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician. He played a decisive role in the Primera Junta, the first national government of Argentina, created after the May Revolution....
. Moreno Plaza is overlooked from the south by the Neogothic Cathedral
Cathedral of La Plata
The Cathedral of La Plata, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, is the largest Roman Catholic sanctuary in the city of La Plata in Argentina, and one of the largest in Latin America...
, designed by Benoit and Ernesto Meyer, and from the north by City Hall, designed by Meyer and German architect Hubert Stier (who created the Hannover
Hannover Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hanover in Lower Saxony, Germany.-History:The first station on the current site, a temporary building serving the line to Lehrte, was erected in 1843...
and Bremen Railway terminals
Bremen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bremen in northwestern Germany. It is the most important rail station for both the city and the state of Bremen; InterCityExpress, Intercity, EuroCity, CityNightLine and DB NachtZug services call at the station, which is situated to the Northeast of the city...
, among other important works).
Construction on the project began in June 1883, and was completed in 1888. The 14,400 m² (155,000 ft²) building, an eclecticist design based on German Renaissance Revival architecture, features Romanesque
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
interiors, including two courtyards, City Council chambers, and the Salón Dorado ("Gold Room"), a formal reception hall accessed via a grand, marble staircase, set in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n oak floors, and featuring German vitreaux, and a 1.2 ton spider chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
.