Palacio Barolo, Buenos Aires

Palacio Barolo is a 22 floor office building, located in Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Italian architect Mario Palanti was commisioned by Luis Barolo, an Italian immigrant who had made a fortune in knitted fabrics, to build this palace. The basic design was conceived simulultaneosly with one for the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay. There are indications that the Palacio Barolo was designed in accordance with the cosmology of Dante's Divine Comedy, motivated by the architect's admiration for Alighieri. The owner planned to use only 3 floors, and to rent the rest. It has a lamp with 3000 bujias, in working conditions.

When completed in 1923 it was the tallest building, not only in the city, but also in the whole of South America. It remained the city's tallest building until 1936 when, on completion, the Kavanagh Building took over this title.

In 1997 this building was declared an historic monument of Argentina.

Referencias

Mimi Bohm, Buenos Aires, Art Nouveau, Ediciones Xavier Verstraeten, Buenos Aires, 2005.