Altos de Elorriaga, Colonial building in Monserrat, Argentina
Altos de Elorriaga is a two-story residential building in Monserrat that shows the typical design of early 19th-century Buenos Aires, with shops and commercial spaces on the ground level and living quarters upstairs. The facade maintains its original form with straight corner edges, without the beveled corners that became common in later buildings.
Built in 1808 by Juan Bautista de Elorriaga, it was the first two-story residence constructed in the city. Its creation marked a turning point in how Buenos Aires developed from single-story to multi-story residential construction.
The building shows how wealthier residents lived in the early 1800s, with clear separation between commercial activity on the ground floor and private living space above. This layout reflects the way the city functioned and how daily life mixed work with home.
The building sits at Adolfo Alsina 417 in the heart of Monserrat and welcomes visitors interested in local architectural history. It is easy to reach while walking through the historic streets of the neighborhood and exploring other sites nearby.
The structure keeps its unusual squared-off corner design, without the beveled angles that later became standard in city architecture. This original configuration makes it a rare survivor from this early building phase and shows how construction practices changed over time.
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