Casa de Fierro, Iron building in Iquitos, Peru.
Casa de Fierro is a two-story iron house whose walls, roof and balcony are made of rectangular silver-painted iron plates. The upper floor rests on a portico of silver columns, and a pyramidal roof painted cherry red tops the structure. It stands between Putumayo and Próspero avenues, facing the Plaza de Armas.
The iron parts were designed by Gustave Eiffel around 1860 and cast at the Belgian Forges d'Aiseau. The house was shown at the 1889 Paris Exposition, where Julio H. Toots bought it. In 1890 it reached Iquitos on the Brazilian steamer Perseverança and was split in two: one half was lost after a failed transfer to the Mishagua, the other was assembled facing the Plaza de Armas.
The building represents the wealth of rubber barons who brought European architectural styles to the Amazon region during the boom years. It stands as a symbol of how trade shaped the cultural identity of Iquitos and its relationship with distant centers of power.
The building sits between Prospero and Putumayo streets with shops and dining options inside on different floors. You can walk in during the day to explore the interior and see how the metal structure creates the spaces within.
The metal components were manufactured in Belgian factories and shipped across the Atlantic as prefabricated pieces. This assembly method was extraordinary for its era and allowed a complex structure to rise in the remote Amazon with minimal on-site construction.
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