National Bank of Argentina Headquarters Building, Bank building in Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The headquarters of the National Bank of Argentina occupies a full city block with nine floors and presents a monumental neoclassical facade toward Plaza de Mayo. Inside, original granite floors, mahogany walls, and cedar panels preserve the initial design, while the spaces now house modern financial services.
The Teatro Colón stood on this site starting in 1857 and closed in 1888, before the national bank took over the property in 1891. The current building arose later and replaced the earlier opera house entirely.
The name recalls the founding of the national bank in 1891, which shaped the building as the center of Argentine finance. The Numismatic Museum displays coins and banknotes that visitors can view today, while the Alejandro Bustillo Art Gallery exhibits Argentine artworks from different periods.
The building stands directly on Plaza de Mayo and is accessible through several entrances from the square and neighboring streets. The gallery and museum have separate visitor hours that differ from regular banking operations.
The block was long known as the Hueco de las Ánimas, a vacant lot linked to the cemetery of Buenos Aires's first chapel, built in 1585. The Customs office operated there briefly in 1603, and the site later held a seminary and a consulate before the first Teatro Colón rose on the corner in 1857.
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