Palacio Municipal (Montevideo)
Encyclopedia
Palacio Municipal is the seat of the local government agency of the Municipality of Montevideo
, Uruguay
. Located on the main avenue of the city, 18 de Julio Avenue
, in barrio Centro, it was designed by Uruguayan architect Mauricio Cravotto
.
Construction began in 1935 and inaugurated on July 16, 1941, although the actual building differs from the original 1929 Cravotto model; his main tower measured 114m, which would have become the tallest building in the city, but for financial reasons rose to only 78m, remaining in second place after the Palacio Salvo
. It also lacked the brick siding. The side wings, the underground concourse and garage were built later, giving the building its current appearance. While not the tallest building in Montevideo, its location on the Avenida 18 de Julio, built on the crest of a ridge or long hill, make the building look more impressive. The area of the building had begun development from at least 1867.
In front of the main entrance is an impressive bronze replica of David of Michelangelo
. The atrium of the building hosts exhibitions of art, craft and varied cultural expressions, while on the right side there is a copy of the statue of Nike of Samothrace. The west wing of the building hosts the Museum of History of Art. The Municipal centre of Photography includes the Photographic Archive of Montevideo, which is a service where the public can acquire copies from the material of the archive. On the back side of the building, there is an external elevator taking the public to floor 22 of the building where there is a city observatory. Also on the back of the building is the Direccion de Necropolis which supervises the cemeteries of the city.
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Located on the main avenue of the city, 18 de Julio Avenue
18 de Julio Avenue
Avenida 18 de Julio, or 18 de Julio Avenue, is the most important avenue in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is named after the date the first Constitution of Uruguay was written: July 18, 1830....
, in barrio Centro, it was designed by Uruguayan architect Mauricio Cravotto
Mauricio Cravotto
Mauricio Cravotto was a Uruguayan architect, considered one of the founders of urbanism in Uruguay.He graduated as an architect at the School of Architecture at the Universidad de la República in 1917...
.
Construction began in 1935 and inaugurated on July 16, 1941, although the actual building differs from the original 1929 Cravotto model; his main tower measured 114m, which would have become the tallest building in the city, but for financial reasons rose to only 78m, remaining in second place after the Palacio Salvo
Palacio Salvo
Palacio Salvo is a building in Montevideo, Uruguay, located at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia. It was designed by the architect Mario Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires, who used a similar design for his Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
. It also lacked the brick siding. The side wings, the underground concourse and garage were built later, giving the building its current appearance. While not the tallest building in Montevideo, its location on the Avenida 18 de Julio, built on the crest of a ridge or long hill, make the building look more impressive. The area of the building had begun development from at least 1867.
In front of the main entrance is an impressive bronze replica of David of Michelangelo
David (Michelangelo)
David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It is a marble statue of a standing male nude. The statue represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence...
. The atrium of the building hosts exhibitions of art, craft and varied cultural expressions, while on the right side there is a copy of the statue of Nike of Samothrace. The west wing of the building hosts the Museum of History of Art. The Municipal centre of Photography includes the Photographic Archive of Montevideo, which is a service where the public can acquire copies from the material of the archive. On the back side of the building, there is an external elevator taking the public to floor 22 of the building where there is a city observatory. Also on the back of the building is the Direccion de Necropolis which supervises the cemeteries of the city.