Obelisco de Buenos Aires, Monument at Plaza de la República in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Obelisco de Buenos Aires is a stone monument on Plaza de la República where two major avenues cross. The four-sided structure in white concrete tapers as it rises and each facade carries inscriptions recalling important moments in the city's story.
The obelisk was commissioned by mayor Mariano de Vedia y Mitre, designed by Alberto Prebisch and built by the German consortium GEOPÉ-Siemens Bauunion-Grün & Bilfinger for the fourth centenary of the city's first foundation by Pedro de Mendoza. Work ran from 20 March to 23 May 1936, with 157 workers finishing in 31 days using rapid-hardening Incor cement and 1,360 m² of Olaen stone from Córdoba. In June 1939 the city council voted to demolish it, but the mayor vetoed the ordinance.
The structure takes its name from the city and locals often use it as a meeting spot before heading to nearby theaters or bars. On weekends people gather here after soccer matches to celebrate their team or share disappointment, with the open plaza around the monument providing space for spontaneous gatherings.
The site is visible around the clock and sits at a central hub of several subway lines. The plaza around it is open and active during daytime, with the best time for photos in early morning when traffic is lighter.
In 1975, during Isabel Perón's government, a rotating ring sign around the shaft carried the motto "El silencio es salud" ("Silence is health"), ostensibly aimed at noisy motorists but widely read as a political message. In 2005 the monument was painted a "Paris stone" hue with 90-micrometre acrylic paint.
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