About Buenos
Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital of
Argentina, and it is the largest city in the country. The city lies in Pampas (fertile plains); it is close to
the coast and located right off of the great Rio de la Plata. Buenos Aires is a
port city; local residents often refer to themselves as Porteños.
About 3
million people live in the city of Buenos Aires. Buenos
Aires has a mild climate year round. The average temperature is 18º C (64.4º
F), making extremely hot and cold days infrequent. Therefore, it is the perfect
weather for visitors to explore the city in any season.
The city is nicknamed the “Paris of
South America” because it has a European sophistication with a combination of
Latin passion. Buenos Aires is known for its wide boulevards, grandeur
architecture, incredible food, nightlife, art centers, and the famous tango.
Buenos Aires Architecture
Teatro Colón
No trip to Buenos Aires is complete without a
visit to the Teatro Colón. Teatro Colón is one of the top theaters in South
America. It hosts the most famous artists of national and international opera
and ballet, and is acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert
venues in the world.
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| Exterior view of the Teatro Colón |
The Teatro Colón was designed by many different talented architects.
The original designer of the theater was Italian architect, Francesco
Tamburini. After his death in 1891, the project was continued and
modified by his partner Víctor Meano, the architect of the Argentinian Congress
building. In 1904 Meano, had passed away and Belgian architect, Jules Dormal
finished the construction in 1908.
The total area of the theater is 624,000 square
feet. It has 7stories and covers an entire
block. The main hall of the theater is designed as an elongated
horseshoe-shape. The hall seats a total of 2,478 people with a standing room
that can fit an additional 500 people. The main hall in the orchestra pit can
hold 120 musicians.
Design
The Teatro Colón's is a beautiful interpretation of classical
architecture with an eclectic style. The basic aesthetic of the Teatro Colón is Italian Renaissance influenced by
Neoclassical. You can tell it is this style, because of the triangular
pediments, geometric proportions, and many columns. In addition to, the
architects also wanted to incorporate French motifs in the theater like the
mosaic tiles you see on the floor.
The foyer of the theater is extremely impressive with its
luxurious high quality materials. The design elements included are marble, dramatic
statues, and stained glass. The columns are constructed out of red hued Verona
marble, Portuguese marble is used for the two lions that guard the central staircase,
yellow marble from Siena, and white marble from Carrara can also be found
throughout the foyer. The beautiful chandelier in the
center of the auditorium has 700 light bulbs. This elegant chandelier casts
light upon the golds and reds of the upholstery, carpets, curtains, and trim.
San Telmo is a historic neighborhood known for
its cobblestone streets, corner cafes, and casas chorizo. Casa Chorizos are
traditional Buenos Aires homes first built in the 1800s. They are long
narrow houses consisting of a central courtyard with all the rooms surrounding
the patio. The rooms in a straight formation against the property line give it
a sausage like (chorizo) appearance.
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| Cobblestone street with Casa Chorizo houses |
What
makes a Casa Chorizo house so special?
The layout of a chorizo house has a
suspended ceiling that forms an air pocket creating a good insulation for the
rooms. It provides residents with a great deal of light and ventilation to each
room. Jorge’s childhood home in Buenos
Aires was built in the Casa Chorizo style.
 |
| Jorge's childhood Casa Chorizo home that was built in the 1800s |
He has many fond memories of the
comfortable living space his house provided to him and his family. It had
amazing cross-ventilation even without any air conditioning or ceiling fans.
This was due to the building’s layout; each of the rooms had thick walls
creating exceptional insulation. The transom windows above the doors and windows pushed warm air
across and out of the building. The veranda provided a buffer from the
high summer sun, but allowed the low winter sun to project light into the
bedrooms. The grape vines growing above provided perfect shading for the space
below. Jorge is a passionate believer in architects designing buildings with comfort and resource-efficiency in mind.
Another great example of a Casa Chorizo house is the famous singer Carlos Gardel’s home. He purchased it in 1927 and in 2003; it was converted to a museum holding memorabilia of his life. Today, visitors can take free tango classes and watch screenings of the tango legend.
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| Famous singer, Carlos Gardel's home in Buenos Aires |
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| Carlos Gardel's chorizo style home turned into a museum |
 |
| Interior view of the chorizo style layout |
Argentines take
extreme pride in their country and their beautiful culture. Buenos Aires is a must see destination for architecture lovers. It is a city
that once you visit you will never want to leave. So what are you waiting for?
Citations
- Zeveloff, Julie. “21 Reasons You Should Visit Buenos Aires”. “Business Insider. Business Insider, 12 Aug,2014. Web. 11 June 2017.
- Touropia.” 10 Top Tourist Attractions in Bueno Aires.” Touropia, 03 Nov.2016. Web, 11 June 2017.
- GypsyNesters.”7 Things Not to Miss in Buenos Aires”. HuffingtonPost. HuffingtonPost, 25 Dec. 2013. Web, 11 June 2017.
- Expedia “Buenos Aires Vacation Travel Guide. Web. 11 June 2017
- International Studies Abroad.“What is Buenos Aires Like?” City Overview. Cultural Highlights. Points of Interest. ISA. Web, 11 June 2017.
- Baker, Vicky. “The Local Beat In Buenos Aires”. Intelligent Travel. National Geographic. 6, July, 2015. Web. 11 June 2017.
- National Geographic. “Buenos Aires, Argentina” Web. 11 June 2017
- World Monuments Fund. “Teatro Colon” Web.
- La Dacto Tours “Teatro Colon Buenos Aires”
- Teatro Colon Organization
- Lucking,Skye “Teatro Colon-Buenos Aires Opera House” Tripsavvy. Web 26 May. 2016
- Say Hueque.”La Casa Choriza:Carlos Gardel’s Sausage House” Travel and Argentina Blog.18. April. 2015
- Zorrilla, Hector, “The Chorizo House in the Rio de la Plata” Architecture of Houses 22.July, 2011
- Posada Palermo Buenos Aires “The Casa Chorizo”
- Interknowledge Corporation.“Buenos Aires Introduction” Geographia.com. Web. 11 June 2017.
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