Torre Dorrego, Brutalist residential building in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Torre Dorrego is a residential building in Palermo with an unusual curved form rising 102 meters over 32 floors and featuring a distinctive shape that plays with curved surfaces. Inside, the structure houses around 240 apartments spread across four sectors per floor, each containing at least two bedrooms plus study spaces.

CAPAYBI, a housing cooperative for members and officers of the three armed forces, held a private competition for the project; of 13 entries, the design by Luis Caffarini, Alfredo Joselevich and Alberto Ricur was chosen. Work began in 1968 under contractors Polledo S.A.I.C. and Roberto S.J. Servente, and engineer Aníbal Petersen planned a critical-path schedule for the original 900-day deadline of July 1970. The tower was completed in 1971.

The building reflects 1970s living preferences when residents experimented with modern housing forms and saw large residential complexes as urban solutions. It attracted families who valued community feeling and new conveniences contained within a single tower.

The building is viewable from street level throughout the day, and the curved form allows you to see different levels and facade sections from various angles. Visitors should walk around the different street sides to fully grasp the geometric impact of the structure.

The foundations were built with the pozo romano system because the water table lay just one metre below the second basement level. Around 1,500 cubic metres of concrete were poured into these shafts over 45 days, anchoring the 102-metre tower.