The concrete giant that keeps mysteries and remains a jewel of Buenos Aires architecture

With one Total area of ​​26,000 square metersincluded unpublished technologies for the time, such as an air conditioning system that supplied air to refrigerate 75,000 people and a sufficient electrical installation for an entire town.

The building obtained in 1936 the Municipal Prize for Collective and Facade. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers distinguished it as “International Historic Milestone of Engineering.” In 1999, UNESCO declared it a heritage of modern architecture and the Argentine State recognized it as a national Historic Monument.

“This building merged, as few in its time, the technical rationality of the modern movement with the aesthetics Art Déco. Ivan Malesaniresearcher and founder of the Art Nouveau Buenos Aires Association.

Design and legacy

With its staggered plant and straight lines, it fuses rationalism and art deco in a unique synthesis. His reinforced concrete structure required more than 1,600 kilometers of steel bars and contains 90 kilometers of internal pipes (The similar distance between CABA and Zárate).

The decorative details, such as the French auction marcasa – thought so that the snow slips, although it only snowed twice in the city – and the garden terraces that advance in the form of a bow over the city, contribute to its unmistakable identity.

To Mariela Blancoauthor of “Legends of bricks and cobblestones” and the recent work “The story is news, a curious review of the Buenos Aires of yesterday”, the Kavanagh “breaks with the Beaux-art style that surrounds the Plaza San Martín, but maintains coherence by incorporating classical elements such as the French roof. It is a rupturist building that does not fade with its surroundings.”

The Kavanagh building has 105 Departments distributed in their 31 floorsin addition to 10 commercial premises on the ground floor.

“It was a pioneer not only because of its height, but for introducing a new standard of urban comfort. He anticipated the demands of an enlightened middle class that demanded efficiency, design and services integrated into more functional spaces,” he said Letsani.

A rarity in the left wing recalls it: two columns and a neoclassical balcony indicate the Old residence by Corina Kavanagh. According to the most widespread myth, the aristocrat sent the building to interrupt the view between the Anchorena mansion and the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, after rejection of a love relationship between her daughter and Aaron Anchorena. However, Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena – the alleged antagonist – died in 1920, long before the start of the work. The story, although chronologically unfeasible, contributes to the mystique that surrounds the building.

More here in time, the “Kavanagh egg”, A sculpture located in the Plazoleta Alberto Ginastera, next to the emblematic building in the Retiro neighborhood.

This work is a replica of “We”, created in 1965 by the avant -garde artist Federico Manuel Peralta Ramos. Installed in 2015, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the original work and pays tribute to the artistic spirit of the 60s in Buenos Aires.

Departments for sale

Within Kavanagh, very few departments are the same. The one that is for sale retains the original plane, with two suites, private shovel, living room and dining room with river orientation, details in Boiserie de Sicomoro, and kitchen with integrated island. The distribution clearly separates the social areas from private ones.

According to Cecilia Baccellohead of Baccello Properties, it is a versatile unit. “It is ideal for a first department, an investment or for someone who moves from a larger space and values ​​architectural quality. It has an expanded kitchen that allows an integrated social dynamic and preserves original materials: floors, doors, hardware, everything was preserved.”

He added a reception toilette, a garage was bought one block from the building and the air conditioning systems were updated. “Instead of intervening with resources outside the style, the essentials were prioritized: noble materials, logical distribution, fluid circulation,” Baccello added.

This unit is marketed at US $ 390,000, with 145 m2 covered, 3 environments and two bathrooms, a garage. There are more than 15 units for sale currently ranging from US $110,000 (two environments), to some that exceed US $ 900,000 with more than 5 environments.

While the rentals are in dollars and range between US $ 1,800 YU $ S3.200 the most expensive. The expenses exceed $ 600,000 per month and vary according to surface and services provided by the property.

The premium market and current demand

To Nicolás Arana Pareradirector of Arana Parera Properties, Kavanagh maintains a faithful and cultured audience. “Who chooses it does not seek only profitability: it seeks to be part of a story. It is an architecture that does not get old. From its windows you can see San Martín Square, and everything has a logic of total work,” he said.

On the profile of the buyers, he said: “There are many assembled families looking for 4 environments with private Pallier and green visuals. Also people from the art world, professionals, entrepreneurs, foreigners. The nobility of the plane, the art deco aesthetics and the quality of the materials are valued.”

As for the premium real estate market, the money laundering reactivated the demand. “Many took the opportunity to regularize funds and seek refuge in solid real estate. Properties with history and good location continue to lead,” said Arana Parera.

The luxury segment remained more stable than the rest of the market in recent years. Although it did not escape the general retraction, it retains liquidity, especially in units with architectural or patrimonial value.

Services, maintenance and lifestyle

The Kavanagh has no electric goalkeeper or garages in the building. Each visitor must be announced at the reception, where you can inform each department by phone. It is a 24 -hour surveillance building, permanent maintenance service and personalized attention.

The elevators – all in total – are distributed among five stairs, and are often shared by no more than ten units. Each department has central heating, central hot water, and air conditioning systems that were adapted to modern individual solutions.

The interior halls are decorated with showcases and indirect lighting. Common halls, with their original panels and wall art, are maintained as careful spaces. The floors are of Eslavonia oak and many units still retain period horseshoes. The consortium acts actively in restoration and value tasks.

Symbolism and cultural value

The Kavanagh was built in times of crisis, during the great recession of the thirties, with national materials, technical creativity and strategic vision. Its structure responded to the need to rethink urban life, optimize resources and design habitable spaces that offered comfort without losing elegance.

“The Kavanagh transcends the traditional logic of the real estate market. It is not just a building: it is a work of art, an urban icon that condenses history, aesthetics and a unique architectural identity,” Baccello said. “Its value is linked to the symbolic. Who chooses it buys permanence.”

The building continues as a witness of an era of modernization, sophistication and rupture. With its 31 plants, its rationalist facade and its monumental imprint, it maintains its place as one of the most recognized pieces of Buenos Aires heritage.