Casa de Fierro, Iron building in Iquitos, Peru.
Casa de Fierro is a two-story structure made entirely of iron sheets that cover the walls, roof, and balcony in the center of Iquitos. The building was assembled from prefabricated metal parts that were brought from overseas and fitted together to create this distinctive form.
The structure was purchased during the rubber boom of 1889 by merchant Anselmo del Águila after he found it at the Paris International Exposition. Assembly and installation took place the following year, making it a pioneering example of prefabrication in the Americas.
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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