Some people obviously look around Buenos Aires and see tremendous opportunity. A large population, crumbling buildings, cheap labor, and apparently little regulation make Buenos Aires a dream city for real estate developers. But, oh, if it could just be easier to kick the squatters out of those buildings and foreclosures could be more rapid then the lending market could take off, spurring even more construction, new homes, and …well, the economy here runs in cycles anyway.
To be fair, Buenos Aires - like everywhere - has gone through periods of building booms…note all those hideous apartment buildings that seem dated from the 1970s and 1980s. Perhaps most notably was the massive demolition of entire city blocks to create Av 9 de Julio, the diagonals, and let’s not forget, even Av de Mayo. Most of these lovely buildings of faded elegance replaced previous structures.
Will the new construction displace an essential character of the city, the architecture that currently distinguishes Buenos Aires from most other cities in the Western Hemisphere?
I just had a vision of the future of Buenos Aires: in an attempt to ease traffic congestion, an elevated highway is constructed above Av 9 de Julio.
Meanwhile in Monserrat
This new apartment building is going up at the corner of Virrey Cevallos and Chile. That’s actually a very good location if you want something in the center of the city.
But look closely at the edges of the neighboring building. Demolition crews do a sloppy job, leaving traces of the former structure. What was this places before?
Ceci actually used to live just down the street on Virrey Cevallos a few years back and I have actually walked this block many times back in 2003. Was there something there then or was it already gone? Honestly, I can’t even remember. Fortunately, the city’s mapping site reminds us with this photo from 1997:
I want to say that I remember this corner from 2003 but I’m not sure. Perhaps I’m mistaking it with some other similar corner. Well, perhaps Buenos Aires only needs one corner like this and the rest can go away … in this city that fades away.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Thanks for the informative post. I lived in Shanghai, China for about a year and saw the same furious development boom where they tore down all the old colonial buildings and built ugly skyscrapers.
However, the Shanghai government is slowly waking up to the importance of preservation of historical buildings in order to preserve the character and charm (whatever is left of it) of the city.
Doesn’t the Buenos Aires government see the same need to preserve the city and its heritage?
January 16th, 2008 at 11:54 am
That’s a good question. The newly elected city govt is definitely pro-business, so I don’t really have high hopes over the next few years. Perhaps one factor is that there is still an abundance of older buildings in BsAs, so many people may feel that losing a building here and there doesn’t hurt anything. But over time that indiscriminate demolition adds up to a lot of buildings. Also, a lot of people may simply not just be noticing it. There is, thankfully, a local group - basta de demoler - that is fighting for the preservation of historic buildings.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Jeff,
I was in BsAs in 2005 during my Honeymoon (following the path of my fathers emigrated in early ‘900), I fell in love with the city and therefore I can understand your feelings about demolitions of old buildings.
Trust me, the real estate bubble will pop soon or later in Argentina too, and speculations will end.
Cheers for your blog, I feel a little envy for the chance you have to live there.
Simone