Estrugamou Building, Beaux-Arts architectural landmark in Retiro, Argentina
The Estrugamou Building is a residential building in the Beaux-Arts style, sitting on the corner of Juncal and Esmeralda streets in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The facade features mansard roofs, tall columns running across several floors, and detailed cornices, while each of the upper floors is divided into four separate apartments.
The building was commissioned in 1924 by landowner Alejandro Estrugamou and designed by architects Eduardo Sauze and Auguste Huguier. It was completed shortly before the 1929 financial crisis, which put a stop to much of the ambitious residential construction then underway in Buenos Aires.
The building is one of the few surviving examples of Beaux-Arts residential design in Buenos Aires, reflecting the tastes of the wealthy families who shaped the Retiro neighborhood in the early 20th century. Passersby on the corner of Juncal and Esmeralda can study the layered facade and get a clear sense of how French architectural fashion was adopted and adapted in the city.
The building stands on a busy corner in Retiro, making it easy to approach and observe the facade from the street at any time. Since it is a private residential building, access to the interior courtyard requires prior arrangement with the residents.
Inside the building's private courtyard stands a bronze replica of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which can be glimpsed through an iron door on the southern side of the building. The statue was not originally made for this courtyard but was moved here from another location in the city.
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