Edificio Transradio Internacional, Rationalist architecture building in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Edificio Transradio Internacional is a rationalist office building on Avenida Corrientes in Buenos Aires, characterized by clean facades and geometric forms. It originally functioned as a telecommunications facility before transitioning to house financial institutions in later years.
The Edificio Transradio Internacional was designed by architect Alejandro Christophersen, who also sat on the company's board, for the Compañía Argentina de Telecomunicaciones, which housed Transradio Internacional offices and telegraph services. During the 1955 Revolución Libertadora, the building was taken by anti-Peronist militants, and the facade still shows marks from Sherman tank shell fragments. It now holds an HSBC branch, which absorbed Banca Nazionale del Lavoro.
The public entrance sits on the ochava, the rounded corner, beneath a large gilded clock ringed by the twelve zodiac signs and the months in Spanish. Telegraph customers climbed to the counters through this corner door, while the main stair to the upper floors opens on San Martín. The clock face still reads EDIFICIO TRANSRADIO above it.
The building is located on Avenida Corrientes, a major avenue in central Buenos Aires, making it easily accessible from public transportation. As a private office building, access to the interior may be limited, but the exterior architecture is visible from the street.
This was Christophersen's only venture into rationalist design, whereas the rest of his portfolio centered on eclecticism and classical styles. The building stands out as a notable departure from the architect's usual approach.
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