Although many people see her from afar without knowing her, the Dorrego tower has a story full of curious details. With its 102 meters high and its brutalist design of pure concrete, this building not only stands out for its particular aesthetics, but also because it is part of the landscape of The Eternalutathe series based on the Argentine science fiction classic. How did it become the scene of that story? Why does it have that form? Who lived there? All that and more, we tell in this note.
The origin of Torre Dorrego, an unusual building
The Dorrego tower was designed by the MSGSSS architecture study (Mantola, Sánchez Gómez, Santos, Solsona and Viñoly), the same one who worked in works as recognized as the National Library. It was inaugurated in 1976, in a field that previously belonged to the Army.
Its structure is totally reinforced and was thought under the principles of brutalist movement. This movement is an architectural current that prioritizes functionality and leaves the “sight” materials, without ornamentation. This makes a giant cement sculpture from outside, with balconies that stand out as gray languages and windows that cut the sky as slots.
But its design also has a practical side: the floors are outdated, allowing greater ventilation and cross views. In addition, its high base generates an open space on the ground floor, something innovative for the time.
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A shelter of artists, musicians and secret characters
Since its construction, the Dorrego tower attracted very particular neighbors. In the 80s and 90s, many artists, musicians, writers and designers, attracted by their broad environments, their rupturist aesthetics and their proximity to cultural spaces.
According to the newspaper The nationthere were also very reserved tenants, who lived there decades without anyone knowing too much about their history. They even circulate versions that some departments were acquired as an investment and remained closed for years.
Today, although the Palermo neighborhood has changed a lot, the tower remains a reference point, with departments that are sold at high prices and a diverse neighborhood community.
-The Dorrego tower as the stage of The Eternaluta
One of the most recent events that put the Dorrego tower again in everyone’s mouth was its appearance as the main scenario in the series The Eternalutareleased by Netflix in 2025.
In fiction – based on Hector Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López – the building works as a refuge for survivors of an alien invasion and a mortal snowfall. Its cold, modern and monumental aesthetics fit perfectly with the post-apocalyptic climate of the series.
Much of the last episode takes place in its corridors, stairs and balconies, which generated a new interest in the tower, both among the cartoon fans and among the lovers of architecture.
A building that does not go unnoticed
The Dorrego tower impacts from any angle. With its 31 floors and its brutalist facade, it stands out even among the new skyscrapers of Palermo. But beyond the visual, it also represents a key stage of Argentine architecture: one that sought to break with the traditional and explore new ways of living.
Some curious data on the building:
- It has a total height of 102 meters.
- It was one of the first towers of its kind built in the city.
- Its structure is completely made in reinforced concrete.
- It has more than 130 functional units.
- It has cross ventilation in most departments.
Today it is still inhabited by families, artists, young couples and elderly, all living in a tower that is not only housing, but also a symbol of another era.
And now, thanks to The Eternalutathe Dorrego tower entered popular culture again, showing us that some buildings do not age: they reinvent themselves.
