Galería Güemes

The galery in 1916

The Galería Güemes is a commercial gallery located on Florida Street in the city of Buenos Aires designed in the art nouveau style by Italian architect Francisco Gianotti in 1913.

History

By the 1910s, Florida was one of the most commercial streets of Buenos Aires movement and pedestrian day. About 10 hours she had built upscale homes in the last decades of the nineteenth century. In No. 74 Cathedral (now St. Martin, immediately east of Florida street parallel) on land that had belonged to General Angel Pacheco, was to build a gallery that was to be called "Gallery Pacheco" . In turn, the shortly after work started on the site of the 150 Florida Street, was a house from 1830 high (as they were called to buildings with a floor height) who acquired Emilio Salta San Miguel and David Ovejero. These they bought the land from Cathedral 74, which had already started work and those lands planned the construction of a skyscraper whose design competition won in September 1912 the Italian Francisco Gianotti, which had built the Italian Pavilion of the Exhibition Centennial in 1910, designed by his colleague Gaetano Moretti.

The plan of San Miguel and Shepherd watched a skyscraper 80 meters from street level (three basements, a solid body six and eight floors that rise in two wings with a towering lighthouse) which exceeded the height limit permitted by the building code of Buenos Aires, and the construction of a theater in the basement, which was prohibited.1 therefore, the municipal mayor Joaquin Anchorena had to recommend to the city Council approval of plans, considering the construction as "an exponent of architectural advancement of the municipality" and claiming that "facilitate the development of pedestrian traffic in the area of high density."

As conditioning opening a walkway semi-public use, which traverse the building, so it was necessary to acquire the land with access to the other end of the block, owned by Banco Supervielle, on the site now on Calle San Martín proposed no 172 the bank joined the project and was determined that both constructs should represent a unit.1 Thus, the total field measured on Florida, 29 meters wide by 58 cm deep, and a fraction of San Martín 20 m and 58 m in front of fondo.

To build it was preferred to use reinforced concrete and Doors asbestos and steel were placed in places where doors lead to the stairs, not least because it was still fresh in the minds of the locals the fire that destroyed the huge market! "London City "on May avenue in August 1910.

Construction began on 10 March 1913 and developed rapidly, despite the collapse of the Italian merchant ship carrying decorative marble gallery by a German submarine during World War development Mundial. 3 in 32 months work by the General Company of Public Works (GEOPÉ) were completed at a cost of 15 million strong pesos, 4 and 15 December 1915 opened with the name of General Guemes Gallery, honoring the northern Argentine caudillo Martin Miguel de Guemes. Attended the event (by Circle Press) President Victorino de la Plaza, Mayor of the City, Dr. Gramajo, Dr. Indalecio Gómez, General José Félix Uriburu and grandchildren of Guemes, Adolfo and Domingo.1 the writer Ricardo Rojas gave a speech in which he emphasized the personality of the leader Salta.

In the beginning it had 350 offices, 70 luxury apartments, two restaurants (one in the 14th floor), "dancing" in the basement, cafes, bars, hairdressers, exchange, etc. Fourteen modern elevators allowed to rise at the rate of eight feet per second. The passage between Florida and San Martin streets has two halls 20 feet high by 12 diameter with a circular dome. Gianotti had brought from the factory that his brother had in Milan, Boticcino marble pilasters, and 36 windows with bronze gold faux carpentry, fronts, cabinets and elevators, lights, and domes of iron from halls, among other things.

Its height is about 80 meters in its central part, without the tower, which is reached 87 meters, which he played for many years the top of skyscrapers in Buenos Aires building Office Settings Railways.

Fire

On 10 September 1971 fire struck the front of the Guemes Gallery, where there was a shirt called the Swan, causing serious damage to structure and interior. The front of the Florida street was destroyed, and a new facade was designed in modern style with a glass curtain wall, breaking the appearance and integrity of the original building. It was also used to build a mezzanine

Recovery

Interior dome

After years of decline and loss of value, management of Guemes Gallery decided to undertake restoration work on the building, the architect commissioned the study in 2004 Reinaldo Lemos skylights, which were walled with concrete was discovered wall paintings were recovered and plastering of bronces.6 were carried out in 2008, the general concluidas.7 the restoration works were finished with the installation of Astor Piazzolla complex.

In 1987 the Gallery was recognized by the Museum of the City as a "living testimony of civic memory."

In April 2010, it was opened to the public the viewpoint of the Guemes Gallery, allowing visitors a 360 degree view of the heights of Buenos Aires.

In July 2011 restored the facade of San Martin Street. With an original plan of 50 days of work, the project included the general hidrolavado Front, relocation of bronze statues that had been removed, restoring marble columns and moldings rebuilding faltantes.9 October 11

Thanks to the success of visits to the viewpoint of the building, in 2013 the administration decided to restore Guemes Gallery definitely full, and instructed the company Dölfer the task. By October of that year, she was ready and inaugurated the renovation of the tower, whose dome is made of steel and coated in copper.

Gallery

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References

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry lived here in 1931, with a seal in your bathtub. In his room in the gallery, wrote the book Night Flight.
• Julio Cortazar in his story El otro cielo, included in his book Todos los fuegos el fuego, imagined together the Guemes and Parisian galleries Vivienne, to both circulate the same air, the air they breathe fantasy the two cities of your life.

External links

• Official site