Retiro, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Retiro is a barrio
(district) in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. Located in the northeast end of the city, Retiro is bordered on the south by the Puerto Madero
and San Nicolás
wards, and on the west by the Recoleta
ward.
Retiro is one of the largest hubs of transportation services in Argentina, and is home to numerous high-end shopping establishments and residential areas popular among both local higher-income families and expatriate executives. About 26,000 of its people, however, including thousands of illegal immigrants, live in the "Villa 31
" shantytown built along the Port of Buenos Aires
from the 1930s onwards. Local and long distance rail service heading to the north originate from Estación Retiro (Retiro train terminal), also a major long-distance bus terminal
(Terminal de Ómnibus) is located adjacent to the station, subte line C of the Buenos Aires Metro
system and numerous local public bus services, this area is always teeming with commuters and traffic on weekdays.
A major thoroughfare is Avenida del Libertador
, which becomes Avenida Leandro N. Alem past the Retiro train terminal. Avenida Leandro Alem runs north-to-south along the Buenos Aires Central Business District
, which Retiro shares with the San Nicolás ward; the Retiro section of the business district is centered around the Catalinas Norte
office park, initially built in the 1970s over docklands developed a century earlier by Francisco Seeber
. Other principal streets and avenues in Retiro are Santa Fe, Córdoba, and Libertador Avenues, pedestrian Florida Street
, and Avenida 9 de Julio.
The Retiro section of Florida Street was the site of Harrods Buenos Aires
, originally the London
department store's only overseas affiliate, from 1914 to 1998; the abandoned landmark continued to host art shows and Tango festivals, and permits were obtained in 2009 to reopen the retailer. Another Retiro landmark spared demolition was the Ortiz Basualdo Palace. Completed in 1912 as a private residence, it was acquired by the French Government for use as its Embassy in Argentina in 1939. When entire blocks of housing were razed to make way for an extension of the Avenida 9 de Julio in the late 1970s, the embassy was spared due to its landmark status, and remains the lone building in the midst of intense traffic. The neighboring Pereda Palace, built in 1920, serves as the official residence of the Ambassador of Brazil
.
Retiro is home to a number of five star hotels, including the Four Seasons
, Marriott Plaza
, Sheraton
, and Sofitel
. The oldest of these, the Marriott Plaza, was opened in 1909 and faces Plaza San Martín
, to the north of which lies the train terminal and the Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina (formerly Plaza Británica), where the Torre Monumental (formerly Torre de los Ingleses) is located; the palladian monument was donated by the Anglo-Argentine community for the 1910 centennial
celebrations, and suffered several acts of sabotage in the wake of the 1982 Falklands War
. Also nearby are the Basílica Santísimo Sacramento, the upscale Patio Bullrich
shopping arcade, the Estrugamou Building
, the Fernández Blanco Museum
, and the Peace Plaza - the site of the former Israel
i Embassy, which was bombed
on March 17, 1992, with a toll of 29 dead and 242 wounded, marking the first known South American incident of Middle East
-related terrorism.
The numerous government agencies headquartered in the district include the Ministry of Foreign Relations
, the Air Force
, the Navy
, the National Mint, and the Rail Transport Agency
; the former Hotel de Inmigrantes
, the primary point of entry for millions of immigrants from 1911 to 1953, is also in Retiro and today serves as a national museum.
, surrounded by great palaces and hotels. The Retiro lowlands were once the training grounds for General José de San Martín
's Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, and the modern-day Plaza San Martín features an equestrian monument to the hero of the Argentine War of Independence
, as well as a memorial to the dead in the Falklands War.
The most significant landmark opposite the plaza is the Kavanagh building
, a reinforced concrete
structure finished in 1936 that, at the time, was the tallest building in Latin America at 120 metres (394 ft). Funded by a feisty Irish Argentine woman, the Kavanagh stands on the northern end of pedestrian Calle Florida
, and its construction followed the plaza's extensive redesign, which resulted in the demolition of a number of derelict buildings from the colonial era, though also of the original National Museum of Fine Arts
, an ornate pavilion used for the 1889 Paris Exposition. Other architecturally significant landmarks facing the plaza include the Paz Palace
, the San Martín Palace
, and the Olivetti and Pirelli skyscrapers, which were among the first in the city built in the International Style
.
District of Retiro
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
(district) in 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...
. Located in the northeast end of the city, Retiro is bordered on the south by the Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of the Argentine capital at Buenos Aires CBD, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and representing the latest architectural trends in the city of Buenos...
and San Nicolás
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...
wards, and on the west by the Recoleta
Recoleta
Recoleta is a downtown residential neighborhood in the city of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; it is an area of great historical and architectural interest, due, particularly to the Recoleta Cemetery located there...
ward.
Urban character
Villa miseria
A villa miseria is a form of shanty town or slum found in Argentina, mostly around the largest urban settlements. The term is a compound noun made of the Spanish words villa "village, small town" and miseria "misery, dejection"...
" shantytown built along the Port of Buenos Aires
Port of Buenos Aires
The Port of Buenos Aires is the principal maritime port in Argentina. Operated by the Administración General de Puertos , a State enterprise, it is the leading transshipment point for the foreign trade of Argentina....
from the 1930s onwards. Local and long distance rail service heading to the north originate from Estación Retiro (Retiro train terminal), also a major long-distance bus terminal
Retiro bus station
Retiro bus station is the main bus terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is situated in the Retiro district, 300 m north of Retiro railway station....
(Terminal de Ómnibus) is located adjacent to the station, subte line C of the Buenos Aires Metro
Buenos Aires Metro
The Buenos Aires Metro , locally known as Subte is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world...
system and numerous local public bus services, this area is always teeming with commuters and traffic on weekdays.
A major thoroughfare is Avenida del Libertador
Avenida del Libertador
Avenida del Libertador is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in points north, extending 25 km from the Retiro District of Buenos Aires to the northern suburb of San Fernando.-History:...
, which becomes Avenida Leandro N. Alem past the Retiro train terminal. Avenida Leandro Alem runs north-to-south along the Buenos Aires Central Business District
Buenos Aires Central Business District
The Buenos Aires central business district , is the main commercial centre of Buenos Aires, Argentina, though not an official city ward.-Overview:...
, which Retiro shares with the San Nicolás ward; the Retiro section of the business district is centered around the Catalinas Norte
Catalinas Norte
Catalinas Norte is an important business complex composed of fifteen commercial office buildings, in two sections, and occupied by numerous leading Argentine companies, foreign subsidiaries, diplomatic offices, and a hotel...
office park, initially built in the 1970s over docklands developed a century earlier by Francisco Seeber
Francisco Seeber
Francisco Seeber was an Argentine military officer, businessman and Mayor of Buenos Aires.-Life and times:...
. Other principal streets and avenues in Retiro are Santa Fe, Córdoba, and Libertador Avenues, pedestrian 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....
, and Avenida 9 de Julio.
The Retiro section of Florida Street was the site of Harrods Buenos Aires
Harrods Buenos Aires
Harrods Buenos Aires is a historic commercial building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, formerly a branch of Harrods of London.- History :Established in 1914 on 877 Florida Street as the only overseas branch of the renowned Harrods of London, the department store was expanded in 1920, and grew to occupy...
, originally the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
department store's only overseas affiliate, from 1914 to 1998; the abandoned landmark continued to host art shows and Tango festivals, and permits were obtained in 2009 to reopen the retailer. Another Retiro landmark spared demolition was the Ortiz Basualdo Palace. Completed in 1912 as a private residence, it was acquired by the French Government for use as its Embassy in Argentina in 1939. When entire blocks of housing were razed to make way for an extension of the Avenida 9 de Julio in the late 1970s, the embassy was spared due to its landmark status, and remains the lone building in the midst of intense traffic. The neighboring Pereda Palace, built in 1920, serves as the official residence of the Ambassador of Brazil
Argentina-Brazil relations
Argentina–Brazil relations are both close and historical, and encompasses all possible dimensions: economy, trade, culture, education and tourism...
.
Retiro is home to a number of five star hotels, including the Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires
Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires is a part of the Toronto-based Four Seasons chain of luxury hotels and resorts. It is located in the city's culturally-rich Recoleta District.-History:...
, Marriott Plaza
Marriott Plaza Hotel, Buenos Aires
The Buenos Aires Marriott Plaza Hotel is a five star establishment located in the city's Retiro section.-Overview:The Marriott Plaza was originally developed by local landowner and banker Ernesto Tornquist. Facing San Martín Plaza, the nine-story hotel was designed by German architect Adolf Zucker...
, Sheraton
Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center
Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center is a five-star hotel located in the District of Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:...
, and Sofitel
Sofitel Buenos Aires
Sofitel Buenos Aires is a five star hotel in the Retiro section of Buenos Aires.-Overview:Commissioned by local shipping magnate Nicolás Mihanovich, a 20-story office complex was built which would allow him to look out towards the Río de la Plata, where his steam ships could be seen plying the...
. The oldest of these, the Marriott Plaza, was opened in 1909 and faces Plaza San Martín
Plaza San Martín (Buenos Aires)
Plaza San Martín is a park located in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Situated at the northern end of pedestrianized Florida Street, the park is bounded by Libertador Ave. , Maipú St. , Santa Fe Avenue , and Leandro Alem Av....
, to the north of which lies the train terminal and the Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina (formerly Plaza Británica), where the Torre Monumental (formerly Torre de los Ingleses) is located; the palladian monument was donated by the Anglo-Argentine community for the 1910 centennial
Argentina Centennial
The Argentina Centennial was celebrated on May 25, 1910. It was the 100th anniversary of the May Revolution, when viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros was ousted from office and replaced with the Primera Junta, the first national government.-Context:...
celebrations, and suffered several acts of sabotage in the wake of the 1982 Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. Also nearby are the Basílica Santísimo Sacramento, the upscale Patio Bullrich
Patio Bullrich
Patio Bullrich is an important shopping center in the Retiro section of Buenos Aires.-Overview:Designed by English Argentine architect Juan Waldorp, Patio Bullrich was originally built as an auction house in 1867 for the prominent local Bullrich family...
shopping arcade, the Estrugamou Building
Estrugamou Building
The Estrugamou Building is an architecturally significant residential building in the Retiro area of Buenos Aires.-Overview:The landmark building was commissioned in 1924 by Alejandro Estrugamou, the son of immigrants from the Basses-Pyrénées area of France and a prominent Venado Tuerto landowner...
, the Fernández Blanco Museum
Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco
The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco is a museum of art located in the Retiro ward of Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:...
, and the Peace Plaza - the site of the former Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Embassy, which was bombed
Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires
The attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires was a bomb attack on building of the Israeli embassy of Argentina located in Buenos Aires which was carried out on March 17, 1992. 29 civilians were killed in the attack and 242 additional civilians were injured.- The attack :On March 17, 1992...
on March 17, 1992, with a toll of 29 dead and 242 wounded, marking the first known South American incident of Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
-related terrorism.
The numerous government agencies headquartered in the district include the Ministry of Foreign Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship is the Argentine government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Argentina.The current Chancellor is Héctor Timerman.-External links:...
, the Air Force
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
, the Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
, the National Mint, and the Rail Transport Agency
Rail transport in Argentina
The Argentine railway network comprised of track at the end of the Second World War and was, in its time, one of the most extensive and prosperous in South America. However, with the increase in highway construction, there followed a sharp decline in railway profitability, leading to the break-up...
; the former Hotel de Inmigrantes
Hotel de Inmigrantes
Hotel de Inmigrantes is a complex of buildings constructed between 1906 and 1911, in the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to receive and assist the many thousands of immigrants who, at that time, where arriving in Argentina from many parts of the world...
, the primary point of entry for millions of immigrants from 1911 to 1953, is also in Retiro and today serves as a national museum.
Plaza San Martín
Across the street opposite Retiro train terminal is the leafy Plaza San MartínPlaza San Martín (Buenos Aires)
Plaza San Martín is a park located in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Situated at the northern end of pedestrianized Florida Street, the park is bounded by Libertador Ave. , Maipú St. , Santa Fe Avenue , and Leandro Alem Av....
, surrounded by great palaces and hotels. The Retiro lowlands were once the training grounds for General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
's Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, and the modern-day Plaza San Martín features an equestrian monument to the hero of the Argentine War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
, as well as a memorial to the dead in the Falklands War.
The most significant landmark opposite the plaza is the Kavanagh building
Kavanagh building
The Kavanagh Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in Buenos Aires, located at 1065 Florida St. in the barrio of Retiro, overlooking Plaza San Martín. It was designed in 1934 by local architects Gregorio Sánchez, Ernesto Lagos and Luis María de la Torre, and was inaugurated in 1936...
, a reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
structure finished in 1936 that, at the time, was the tallest building in Latin America at 120 metres (394 ft). Funded by a feisty Irish Argentine woman, the Kavanagh stands on the northern end of pedestrian Calle Florida
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....
, and its construction followed the plaza's extensive redesign, which resulted in the demolition of a number of derelict buildings from the colonial era, though also of the original National Museum of Fine Arts
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires)
The National Museum of Fine Arts is an Argentine art museum in Buenos Aires, located in the Recoleta section of the city. The MNBA inaugurated a branch in Neuquén in 2004.-History:...
, an ornate pavilion used for the 1889 Paris Exposition. Other architecturally significant landmarks facing the plaza include the Paz Palace
Paz Palace
The Paz Palace is a former mansion in Buenos Aires, Argentina, housing the Military Officers' Association, a social club maintained by the Argentine military.-Overview:...
, the San Martín Palace
San Martin Palace
San Martín Palace is located facing Plaza San Martín in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina and serves as the Ceremonial Headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Relations.-History:...
, and the Olivetti and Pirelli skyscrapers, which were among the first in the city built in the International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
.