Edificio Menéndez Behety, Historic commercial building in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina

Edificio Menéndez Behety is an eight-story building with a trapezoidal footprint, distinguished by marble halls and long columns adorned with detailed statuary work. The structure combines classical architectural elements with its characteristic asymmetrical site in the downtown area.

Built in 1926 by architect Arturo Prins, the structure originally served as headquarters for the Import and Export Societies of Patagonia Ganadera y Comercial. Its construction came during a period of economic expansion when trade and livestock commerce shaped the city's development.

The facade displays sculptures of Poseidon, Hermes, and figures representing Agriculture, Livestock, and Navigation, reflecting Argentina's economic activities. These ornaments tell the story of the trade traditions that shaped the city.

Office access is on the west side of the front, through a hall with marble and gilded Ionic capitals leading to the reception desk and three lifts; the ground floor, now a Banco de la Ciudad branch, is entered from the centre of the facade. The Chilean Consulate occupies the second floor, and a rear internal courtyard lights the upper offices.

The building integrates early twentieth-century innovations with glazed curtain walls between the third and fifth floors using iron profiles. This technical solution allowed for more open interior spaces and demonstrated early modernist construction influences in the city.