The Estrugamou Building is an architecturally significant residential building in the Retiro area of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Overview

The landmark building was commissioned in 1924 by Alejandro Estrugamou, the son of immigrants from the Basses-Pyrénées area of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and a prominent

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Santa Fe Province The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco (divided by the 28th parallel south), Corrientes, Entre R� ...

) landowner. Conceiving it as an investment property, Estrugamou himself lived in a relatively understated

French Baroque French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

mansion, nearby. Designed by architects Eduardo Sauze y August Huguier, the building, like many of the upscale developments in Argentina during the early 20th century, was designed in an eclectic style heavily influenced by French Baroque and

Second Empire architecture Second Empire style, also known as the Napoleon III style, is a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which uses elements of many different historical styles, and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as i ...

. The Estrugamou was built in four sections, arranged around a patio adorned with a bronze copy of the iconic

Winged Victory of Samothrace The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Nike of Samothrace'', is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the be ...

. Nearly every decorative element of the building was imported from France, and the flooring was finished in

Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baran ...

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

. Inaugurated in 1929, the eight-story Estrugamou Building was one of the few city landmarks to receive no architectural awards at the time of its completion. It was graced by an oversized sidewalk and extensive garden along its southern façade originally, though the civic-minded Alejandro Estrugamou donated this section to the city (which sought to widen Juncal Street) shortly before his death in 1937. The Estrugamou building has been described as an 'oasis of glamour, diplomacy and politics' by virtue of its notable residents and associated personalities.Palacio Estrugamou, Clarin: ''Glamour, Diplomacy and Politics at the Estrugamou''
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Residents and Associated Personalities

Domingo Cavallo Domingo Felipe Cavallo (born July 21, 1946) is an Argentine economist and politician. Between 1991 and 1996 he was Economic Ministry of Argentina during Carlos Menem presidency. He is known for implementing the '' Convertibility plan'', which ...

* Carlos Gardel *

Naela Chohan Naela Chohan (Urdu: نائلہ چوہان, alternative spelling ''Naila Chohan'') (born 6 May 1958 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan) is a Pakistani ambassador, artist and diplomat. As a seasoned and veteran diplomat, ambassador Chohan has assumed a le ...

* Jorge Lanata *

Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Máximo Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Pacheco (4 October 1868 – 23 March 1942), was an Argentine lawyer and politician, who served as president of Argentina between from 1922 to 1928. His period of government coincided precisely with the en ...

Regina Pacini Regina Isabel Luisa Pacini Quintero (January 6, 1871, Lisbon, Portugal – September 18, 1965, Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a lyric soprano who married the Argentine politician Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear and became First Lady of Argentina.''La ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Estrugamou building Buildings and structures in Buenos Aires Residential buildings completed in 1929