This new Buenos Aires home was designed around three decisive pillars: light, matter and time. The 140 sq m residence, House JR, is located in one of Argentina’s more affluent neighbourhoods, San Isidro, and is named after the client’s initials.

‘The initials also became symbolic during the process – representing the idea of a more essential way of living, aligned with a simpler, more direct relationship with nature,’ explains Gonzalo Bardach, lead architect on the project, and founder of his namesake studio.

‘The project was not driven by a singular image, but by an intention to construct a way of inhabiting,’ Bardach continues. ‘From the beginning, we were interested in working with materiality and atmosphere as the primary tools – shaping spaces through light, thickness and time rather than through form.’

Together with his team, he explored how warm pigmented concrete could create an environment that feels both grounded and intimate. The residence comprises thick walls and flowing planes, opening up to the surrounding landscape. Upon entering, the residence unfolds as a sequence of atmospheres, where light is filtered and displaced, creating a gentle interplay between shadow and light.

However, the pigmented concrete element was what proved to be a main challenge for the architect, as he tells Wallpaper*: ‘The colour, texture and execution had to be carefully controlled so that the material could operate not only as structure, but as an atmospheric element. Overall, we achieved both technical consistency and the intended spatial effect.’

In terms of the home's arrangement, daily life is situated on the ground floor, which expands effortlessly into the outdoor spaces. With an abundance of planted and terraced al fresco areas, the outdoors is welcomed in. The open spaces have been conceived to feel as one with the rest of the home.

Says Bardach, ‘The house is designed to be discovered slowly – through changes in light, scale and material. Ideally, it generates a sense of calm, where the relationship between light, matter and nature becomes perceptible, and time feels present.’

House JR is cinematic, capturing snapshots of the passage of time and the changing climate outdoors. It offers a calming display of materiality, light and landscape, and how they intertwine.

Bardach concludes, 'There is a particular moment where filtered light enters through the concrete planes and interacts with the vegetation; that continuous dialogue between light, material and landscape is, for me, the essence of the project.’

gonzalobardach.com

In capitals around the world, there is often a handful of elegant and sought-after streets that turn into a little assembly of international embassies. In Buenos Aires, this hub of networking and diplomacy can be found in the leafy Palermo Chico district, clustered around the Museum of Latin American Art.

A former ambassadorial residence in this affluent neighbourhood is the site of the latest project by Kallos Turin, an award-winning transatlantic architectural practice founded by Stephania Kallos and Abigail Turin after the pair met working at David Chipperfield Architects in London. Today, Kallos helms the London office, while Turin is based in LA, and led the Buenos Aires project, working with local architect of record Soledad Llanos.

Unlike their 2023 Filothei House, a newly built concrete family home in Athens, Embassy House involved working with an existing building: a grand residence designed in the 1930s by renowned architect Alejandro Enquin. Although many interior details were lost due to a series of refurbishments, its plaster and sandstone façade and exterior metalwork set the tone for the refurbishment project.

Tour Embassy House in Buenos Aires

Spanning 1,400 sq m over five floors, the residence boasts stunning terraces with views toward the city on one side and the Rio de la Plata River on the other. The owners purchased the property nearly a decade ago, and turned to Kallos Turin, who had designed other homes for them, to lead its renovation and update its layout to suit the needs of contemporary family life.

The interior also serves as a canvas for the client’s extensive collection of Latin American art, which he has been acquiring at auctions for over 30 years. Artworks by the likes of Uruguayan painter José Cuneo Perinetti and Argentine visual artist Rubén Santantonín are seamlessly integrated into the scheme, which features burgundy, petrol blue and mustard yellow accents throughout.

‘The scale and layout of the rooms had been patched together over the many renovations and were not conducive to family life or consistent with the original embassy plans,’ explain the architects. ‘Partitions were reintroduced to the open layout to restore the original proportions of the rooms and create a sense of intimacy that had been lost over the years.’

For example, the vast open-space kitchen has been divided into two smaller, more functional rooms, featuring bespoke kitchen cabinetry and a custom table designed by Kallos Turin for Molteni&C. The existing oak boiserie was preserved and extended to create a cohesive flow between spaces, while the custom brass bar, inspired by the geometric library doors at Villa Necchi, Piero Portaluppi’s 1935 villa in Milan, is paired with Martasala stools in Rose Uniacke’s gold hemp fabric.

‘We didn’t initially anticipate the bar becoming such a focal point, but it quickly emerged as the social heart of the house,’ says Turin. ‘It is positioned at the top of the stairs, and creates a small moment of theatre as you arrive. But it also acts as a hinge between the main public spaces. It’s both a gathering spot and a spatial connector – an element that animates the house through the simple idea of people meeting, pausing, and celebrating.’

Other highlights include a 300-year-old tapestry in the living room, which is furnished with Pierre Augustin Rose sofas, a custom travertine coffee table and vintage Swedish lamps; Jorge Pardo’s 2023 colourful glass pendant lights, illuminating a black mirrored dining table and 18th century dining chairs; and a pair of Gio Ponti armchairs, from the Conte Grande cruise liner, in the study.

Upstairs on the roof terrace, a ‘quincho’ (outdoor kitchen or dining area) designed for family gatherings and asado barbecues is complemented by panoramic views, landscaping by Alejandra Dominics, and a lounge with design classics such as Tobia Scarpa’s ‘Africa’ table and chairs and Mario Bellini’s ‘Cameleonda’ sofas.

Throughout the residence is a ‘combination of formal and informal spaces, old and new elements, and the blending of the client’s personal collection with new and vintage pieces’, write the architects, adding that this contrasting layering creates the feeling of ‘several houses inside the house, as if it had been developed over years rather than as part of a single project at a single moment in time’.

kallosturin.com

Argentina’s bespoke auto industry gets a boost with this strictly limited edition SP40 Restomod Speedster, a modern update of the one-off 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster. The original was made for Edsel Ford, son of Henry, and is currently at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House museum, although a meticulous recreation was recently sold at RM Sotheby’s.

This time, Iconic Auto Sports was not looking to build a strict replica. The company was set up by Francisco Orden and Arturo Arrebillaga and is based outside of Buenos Aires, where a workshop specialises in award-winning recreations of iconic classic cars. In 2018, the duo won an Autoclasica Award for its precise recreation of the original 1934 Ford 40 Special Speedster.

Back in the 1930s, Edsel’s personal machine had been shaped with the guidance of Ford designer Eugene ‘Bob’ Gregorie, a former yacht designer who dived deep into art deco and the Streamlined Moderne stylings of the era. The end result, the spirit of which is captured by the SP40, still looks remarkably contemporary for a 90-year-old machine.

Under the skin, the new SP40 is a thoroughly modern machine, complete with modern Ford V8 (as used in cars like the Mustang), manual gearbox and new running gear. Whereas the original had aluminium bodywork and a tubular frame (built by Ford’s Aircraft Division) along with a period V8, the SP40 is fashioned from carbon fibre with aluminium accents.

It shares similar proportions to the original, although thicker tyres and a wider stance add a streak of Hot Rod style. A featherweight 1,190kg two-seater with a bespoke tubular spaceframe chassis and no less than 480 horsepower. ‘Our goal with the introduction of the SP40 was not to replicate history, but to awaken it,’ says Arturo Arrebillaga. ‘Every line, every curve, every mechanical detail reflects our obsession with making the best car that we could to feel, to see, and to drive.’

The power to weight ratio promises to deliver impressive performance and the team is dedicated to making the new iteration of Edsel’s custom classic an all-analogue affair. The dashboard is purposefully minimal, just like the original, but elements like aircon and wireless device charging are tucked away out of sight.

‘Argentina has a long tradition of motorsport ingenuity, engineering, and passion,’ says Orden. ‘In South America, we grew up admiring both North American muscle and European sophistication, and the SP40 delightfully represents that fusion. The SP40 Restomod is a car that carries Edsel Ford’s spirit, but speaks a new design language, one shaped by modern materials and racing experience.’

Available for sale in the US and South America, the SP40 will be pitched at collectors looking for a usable performance car with the spirit of an inter-war racer. All buyers will be encouraged to create their own unique specification, although we suspect a fair few will want to replicate the dark green trim and bodywork of the original.

More information at SP40Restomod.com, @SP40Restomod, IconicAutoSports.com

The converted car park, Ola Palermo, might not sound like the plum civic commission one might expect from celebrated New York design firm ODA, yet for founding principal Eran Chen, it's an important effort reflective of a wider mission. The prolific architect is certainly capable of the one-off, trophy project that becomes a global icon, but he’d much rather reimagine an existing structure, making it a local treasure by fostering community, with far less impact on the environment. It’s a pragmatic approach that prioritises people, sustainable architecture, and the novel idea that design must align with the client’s budget.

The specific scheme is just one example of his penchant for adaptive reuse. In Ola Palermo's namesake neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, the mixed-use project stands as a shining example of what can be, crafted from what already is. In this case, the building was an outdated parking garage - a piece of brutalist architecture on an isolated, oddly shaped plot, which the city had reluctantly owned.

ODA’s converted car park, Ola Palermo: a case of creative adaptive reuse

While the project faced significant challenges, from financial constraints to the arguably typical initial scepticism about public-private partnerships, Chen’s masterful use of negative space made it into a sweeping, sculptural piece of contemporary architecture and an attractive hub, newly connected to – and juxtaposed against – historic Palermo. The project gives 40,000 sq ft of public park space and pedestrian paths to the neighbourhood, which wind around a collection of restaurants, retail, and prime office space – now among the city’s most coveted.

In the end, Ola Palermo has become an example of how public-private partnerships can be successful – particularly in more budget- and environmentally friendly adaptive reuse projects – and how they can serve so many more than just the architect and their client. It’s also an example of Chen’s philosophies coming to life. We asked Chen to discuss those more deeply, with a few questions.

Catching up with Eran Chen of ODA New York

Wallpaper*: You’ve described one of your guiding principles as 'form follows experience', a thoughtful take on Louis Sullivan’s famous phrase. What does this mean to you in practice, and how does it shape the way you approach design?

Eran Chen: Architecture is a machine for living. It has to follow utilitarian order and modernism’s mantra, ‘form follows function’, which shaped the architecture of the 20th century in an age when efficiency and programme defined our cities. However, current-day technology has changed the way in which we navigate the world, as we can ultimately access and do anything from anywhere. This leaves us with the dilemma of determining, what should form follow?

As I believe buildings today must go beyond meeting basic needs, 'form follows experience' in the new world does not focus on what humans do, but rather the human experience that we go through when doing it. Buildings should encourage human interaction, connection and serve as a physical backdrop that supports these types of experiences, which I see as the driving force of architecture. We look at how a place feels to move through, where it invites you to linger, and how it connects to the city around it. Experience is what gives a building its value and its longevity.

It’s what turns a structure into a destination, not just a container for a function. In practice, that means we design porosity into our projects, connections between public and private, indoors and out, because those are the qualities that make architecture vibrant and alive. For example, the shape of Ola Palermo was informed by [thinking about] the experience of climbing the structure. And for residential properties, [shape is informed by ideas of] porosity and how the return of alleyways and courtyards [creates] pockets of human interactions.

W*: Many of your most impactful projects involve the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. You believe cities should embrace this approach – not just as an environmentally responsible choice, but as a critical strategy for the future of urban life? Why?

EC: Adaptive reuse considers sustainability, memory, and preservation. Quite often, we find that there is a value of memory with older buildings, and we see many attributes in these structures that architects would not build in the current day. When we reuse a structure, we’re not erasing the past. Instead, we’re layering history with new life and providing greater context to a building in its place.

There’s also a practical side, as many cities are filled with oversized office buildings that no longer serve their original purpose. By cutting into them, opening courtyards, or inserting new public spaces, we can make them porous, flexible, and desirable again. These second chances turn forgotten buildings into civic assets, reconnecting them to their neighbourhoods and extending their lifespan in ways that new construction often can’t.

W*: Your approach to public space has positioned you as a thought leader in creating community – something not every client brief explicitly asks for. Why is this focus on community so central to your work, and why do you think it matters so much to the projects you design and cities you practice in?

EC: Throughout my career, I have been captivated by two ideas that could adjust cities to current-day needs and desires – porosity and density. On an urban scale, porosity could lie within the alleyways and courtyards, while on a building scale, it could be a sequence of terraces or balconies. I believe that if we add the attribute of porosity to high-density buildings and projects, architects can create pockets of human interactions at a large scale, which in turn brings back the ability for communities to flourish.

Every building sits within a larger ecosystem. It’s never just for its tenants; it’s part of a neighbourhood, a street, a city. When you design only for the private realm, you miss the bigger opportunity. Community emerges when we blur the line between public and private, like a lobby that extends into a plaza, a roof that becomes a park, an alley reimagined as a garden.

These gestures create what I call ‘lingering places’, where people interact beyond their immediate purpose. That’s how we rebuild vibrancy in our cities because when architecture creates public value, it brings people back, drives economic vitality, and makes the city stronger. In that sense, community isn’t an add-on. It's at the core of resilient urban design.

oda-architecture.com

As modernist architecture ideas and principles travelled the world since the style's emergence in the 1920s, fresh and exciting forms of architecture started appearing in new territories, beyond the movement's birthplace in Europe (you can take our tour of lesser-known modernist houses in Europe for more). One of these places was South America, where local architects enchanted the whole world with their expressive and flamboyant styles and regional interpretations of the genre.

It was not until the late 1930s that South American countries made their mark in the architecture world with their take on modernism, whose dynamic development followed economic and cultural transformations of South American countries which, during the 1920s till the 1960s, emancipated themselves on the global stage. Architecture, as well as art, music and literature, became tools for creating a new identity for young and ambitious nations.

Brazil soon emerged as a world leader in the field. With a new generation of architects from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, including Oscar Niemeyer, Affonso Reidy, Alvaro Vital Brazil, Rino Levi, Villanova Artigas and others, the country soon cemented its influential position, as proven by the legendary exhibition Brazil Builds at MoMA in New York in 1943. The combination of modern structural building methods, striking sculptural forms and emotive spaces fascinated the global architecture community. Brazilian modernism - celebrated on pages of seminal publications and books after the Second World War - found its signature style. From then on, modernist South American architecture has come into the public spotlight.

Beyond Brazil, architectural expression flourished in other countries of the region too. Argentina became one of the richest countries in the world, developing a mature modernist style since the late 1930s with the help of Catalan, Le Corbusier-trained architect Antonio Bonet Castellana, who produced exceptional work there and in Uruguay until he returned to Spain in the 1960s.

Venezuela also arrived on the world stage with its advanced architecture during the 1950s. Caracas (take a tour of Caracas' modernist gems for more) became a centre of modernist ideas. Architects such as Carlos Raúl Villanueva, Tomás Sanabria, Ján Górecki, Fruto Vivas and many others, transformed the city through unexpected and dramatic constructions, which were celebrated by editors of prestigious magazines of the time, including Domus in Italy or L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui in France.

Hop on our tour of 18 lesser-known modernist houses in South America

Modernist architecture flourished in many more South American countries - although perhaps in a more discreet way, which was lesser known on a global scale. Architects in countries such as Ecuador, Peru or Chile produced a wide, original and authentic body of work, very often connecting their local cultural background with international influences in an original way. An exhibition titled Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955-1980 and held at MoMA ten years ago, highlighted their creative flair.

For this survey, we chose 18 lesser-known private houses from some of these South American countries, demonstrating the level of progress and quality of modernist architecture production in this fascinating region.

Argentina

Alberto Córsico Piccolini, Family House

Alberto Córsico Piccolini
Family House
Mar del Plata, Argentina
1930s

Alberto Corsico Piccolini was one of the first modernist architects to begin building in the Argentinian city of Mar del Plata, transforming it into a glamorous holiday resort during the 1930s. Like his contemporaries, Córsico Piccolini was influenced by modernism, Art Deco and Streamline Moderne, as seen in this corner-site house.

Alejandro Bustillo, Casa Victoria Ocampo

Alejandro Bustillo
Casa Victoria Ocampo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
1928

Inspired by the rationalist ideas of Le Corbusier, architect Alejandro Bustillo exchanged his French neo-classical style for modernism and designed Casa Victoria Ocampo in Buenos Aires as one of the very first houses in this style in Argentina. Victoria Ocampo was the founder of the journal Sur, which promoted literary works by important Argentinian and international authors. Today the house is open to the public as a museum.

Antonio Bonet Castellana, Casa Oks

Antonio Bonet Castellana
Casa Oks
Martínez, Argentina
1953–57

Casa Oks, in the exclusive suburb of Martínez on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, is probably the finest of Spanish architect Antonio Bonet Castellana’s residential projects in Argentina. He designed it at the end of his South American adventure as a three-dimensional steel grid with glass walls and open-air terraces.

Walter Loos, Lienau Patio House

Walter Loos
Lienau Patio House
Mar del Plata, Argentina
1943

Walter Loos began his career in the late 1920s after graduating from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In 1939 he emigrated to Argentina, where he successfully continued his pre-war avant-garde work. He set up a studio with Max Thurn in 1941 and continued to design residential projects. Lienau Patio House in Mar del Plata is one of Loos’s early Argentinian designs.

Brazil

Flávio de Carvalho, Row House

Flávio de Carvalho
Row House
São Paulo, Brazil
1930s

The versatile personality of designer, artist, architect, theorist and philosopher Flávio de Carvalho played an important role in the emergence of the Brazilian avant-garde. From the 1920s onwards, this non-conformist intellectual promoted experimental art forms and an unconventional and free way of life. His few architectural realizations include a row of residential houses with strong modernist and Art Deco influences, which he realized in the 1930s. Only one house, which today is home to the art gallery Casa SP-arte, has survived.

Rino Levi, Residência Clemente Gomes

Rino Levi
Residência Clemente Gomes
São Paulo, Brazil
1963

Architect and pioneer of Brazilian modernism Rino Levi applied his unique vision for indoor spaces and their relationship to their surroundings to residential projects including the Casa Milton Guper Residence in São Paulo and Casa Olivo Gomes in São José dos Campos. Their spacious linear structure, disappearing into the lush tropical landscape, is also found in the little-known Casa Clemente Gomes, built around enclosed atriums and gardens with landscaping by Roberto Burle Marx.

Jorge Zalszupin, Guarujá Beach House

Jorge Zalszupin
Guarujá Beach House
Guarujá, Brazil
1972

Outside Brazil, Polish-born Jorge Zalszupin is perhaps best known as a furniture designer, but he has also designed several buildings, including the large-scale Paulista-style administrative buildings in São Paulo, as well as a series of vernacular-style holiday houses in Guarujá, including his own summer house, characterised by freeform organic forms.

Hans Broos, Casa Broos

Hans Broos
Casa Broos
São Paulo, Brazil
1971–78

In 1971, Brazilian architect Hans Broos began to build a studio and house in the residential district of Morumbi, São Paulo. This architect of German descent was one of the prominent practitioners of the Paulista School. Rough concrete surfaces, substantial volumes and innovative use of light characterize the house he built for himself, which has sadly been deteriorating since his death. The legendary landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx collaborated with Broos on the project, not only designing a wild terraced garden for the house but also creating unique elements inside, including the fireplace and a hidden bar cabinet, approaching the design as an abstract sculpture.

Uruguay

Julio Vilamajó, Casa Vilamajó

Julio Vilamajó
Casa Vilamajó
Montevideo, Uruguay
1930

Defying categorisation, the work of architect Julio Vilamajó is a blend of European and local influences with many different sources of inspiration, put together in a highly personal way. The most striking example of his original style is his own house, which he completed in 1930. Vilamajó travelled to Europe and North Africa in the early 1920s and studied Arabic architecture, and its influence can be seen in his own home. Unlike some of his peers, the architect never denied ornament and here created an unexpected project in which a radical spatial conception is united with sensitive decorative details, Deco-influenced furniture and generous open interiors.

Antonio Bonet Castellana, La Gallarda

Antonio Bonet Castellana
La Gallarda
Punta del Este, Uruguay
1945

Antonio Bonet Castellana built this one-storey residence in Punta del Este for the famous Spanish writer Rafael Alberti. The building displays architectural features typical of the time, and a modernist layout is combined with local materials and a vernacular appearance. The dynamism of the sloping roofs adds rhythm to the whole structure.

Ricardo Gomara, House in Playa Brava

Ricardo Gomara
House in Playa Brava
Punta del Este, Uruguay
1982

Located in Punta del Este, this single-family house was built in 1982 by Argentinian architect Ricardo Gomara. Nestled in gentle grass hills close to the beach, the house features striking horizontal concrete volumes evoking the work of American architects John Lautner or Paul Rudolph.

Rodolfo López Rey, Residencia Poyo Roc

Rodolfo López Rey
Residencia Poyo Roc
Punta del Este, Uruguay
1964

In 1963, Rodolfo López Rey was awarded a scholarship and travelled to Italy to study at the Milan Polytechnic, where he met important personalities in the local architectural scene, including Ernesto Rogers. After his return to Montevideo, he built several exceptional houses in Punta del Este, including the expansive Poyo Roc house with a large canopy, spiral staircase and hand-crafted details such as the typography and sign on the door.

Ecuador

Karl Kohn, Casa Kohn

Karl Kohn
Casa Kohn
Quito, Ecuador
1951

Architect Karl Kohn emigrated from Prague, where he ran a successful architecture studio with his brother Otto before the Second World War. Kohn and his wife Vera settled in the Mariscal district. He designed dozens of private residences during the 1950s. He combined Prague's functionalist experience with specific elements responding to the new cultural and climatic environment of Ecuador. Undoubtedly, his most important project was the creation of his own Casa Kohn that the architect inaugurated in 1951 in the presence of the former President of Ecuador, Gala Plaza.

Gustavo and Diego Guayasamín, Casa Guayasamín

Gustavo and Diego Guayasamín
Casa Guayasamín
Quito, Ecuador
1970s

Quito’s typical modern vernacular architecture can be seen in the former studio and residence of Ecuador’s legendary artist Oswaldo Guayasamín. His house and atelier, built in the 1970s by Gustavo and Diego Guayasamín, interpreted colonial haciendas in a new way. The house is now open as a museum and visitors can explore not only Guayasamín’s paintings but also the authentic spaces where he hosted and painted portraits of celebrities, artists, and politicians from all over the world.

Juan Espinoza and Rodrigo Samaniego, Casa Miravelle

Juan Espinoza and Rodrigo Samaniego
Casa Miravelle
Quito, Ecuador
1960s

The 1960s vernacular tendencies in Ecuador, which opposed strict universal theories of International Style, were practised mainly by a collective of architects called Grupo 6, including Juan Espinoza, Rodrigo Samaniego Rubén Moreira, Mario Solis, and Fernando Jaramillo. One example of their work is Casa Miravelle, which was built by Juan Espinoza and Rodrigo Samaniego and with its vaulted roofs and brickwork resembles Le Corbusier‘s Maisons Jaoul in Paris.

Venezuela

Ján Górecki, Casa Gómez Ribeiro

Ján Górecki
Casa Gómez Ribeiro
Caracas, Venezuela
1957

Born in Saint Petersburg in Russia, architect Ján Górecki built hundreds of private houses in Caracas during the 1950s and 1960s. His houses, including the one for J. Gómez Ribeiro in the Altamira neighbourhood, are characterized by dynamic shapes, circular ventilation openings, angled roofs and very often used expressive curves. Inside playful layouts and architectural details can be found.

Carlos Raúl Villanueva, Casa Caoma

Carlos Raúl Villanueva
Casa Caoma
Caracas, Venezuela
1953

Carlos Raúl Villanueva was the most prolific architect of Venezuela‘s postwar modernist movement. His university campus in Caracas is a celebrated example of the synthesis of all arts in a complex project. Original drawings and documents of this important commission are still held by Villanueva‘s daughter at his original home, Caoma Residence, completed in 1953. An original dwelling, designed as a synthesis of traditional colonial houses and functionalism, it still hides precious pieces by the lies of Charlotte Perriand and Alexander Calder.

Fruto Vivas, Quinta Zaira

Fruto Vivas
Quinta Zaira
Caracas, Venezuela
1956

Celebrated for his striking hyperbolic roof of Club Táchira, architect Fruto Vivas also built many private houses in the 1950s and 1960s, all defined by a synthesis of vernacular elements, use of local materials, and bold construction elements and spatial solutions, as demonstrated in his Quinta Zaira.

This Argentinian retreat is, as its name suggests, set idyllically in the middle of a coniferous forest on the coast of Buenos Aires. Forest House, designed by Gonzalo Bardach Architecture, thrives in its inherent openness and strong relationship between indoors and outdoors, which makes the home the perfect escape - immersed, as it becomes, in the region's abundant, native greenery. 

Explore this Argentinian retreat in the forest

The project's lead architect Gonzalo Bardach and his team sought to create a 'shelter', a residence that blends with the landscape discreetly; yet at the same time, can offer a haven for relaxation and protection from the elements when needed, for its residents. 

To help their design integrate with the context seamlessly, the architects worked with flowing organic forms, curves and lots of openings that bring the outside in at every turn. The aim was 'build a space for contemplation and silence, a place to connect with nature,' they say. 

The continue to explain: 'Light plays a fundamental role in the project, contributing to create a unique and changing atmosphere of the space. The architecture becomes a living canvas where light filters through the leaves of the trees, creating shadow patterns that delicately dance on the surfaces. In this refuge in the middle of the forest, sunlight becomes a dynamic element that constantly transforms the perception of the space, inviting us to experience a deeper connection with nature and with ourselves.' 

A material palette composed of mainly stone, wood, iron, and glass lends tactility to the design. At places, however, this human-made structure becomes engulfed in the surrounding foliage, and rendered secondary to the powerful nature around it. This aspect of the design played a key role in the design development. 

'The landscape design has been built on a process of botanical research of the native species of the Buenos Aires coastal eco-region. The result is a three-dimensional, species-rich landscape design, not only for humans but also for other species as support,' the team explains. In this context, biodiversity and adaptability take centre stage in the design, which consists of three semi-buried pavilions.

'The essence of Forest's architecture is born from a dream, the desire to restore the lost connection between nature and human beings. It seeks to revive this ancestral relationship by creating spaces that invite contemplation and introspection. Architecture is not just a physical construction, but an emotional and experiential expression that celebrates the beauty and harmony of the natural environment.'

gonzalobardach.com

Hotel Casa Lucía is a new addition to Buenos Aires’ bijou Recoleta neighbourhood and is located in Edificio Mihanovich, once the tallest building in Latin America. The 20-storey building was commissioned in the 1920s by Nicolas Mihanovich, a shipping magnate who wanted an office complex tall enough to watch his own ships departing from Río de la Plata to neighbouring Uruguay.

Seek serenity at Hotel Casa Lucía

French hospitality company Accor acquired the property in 2000, by which point it was an abandoned residential complex, and transformed it into Argentina’s first Sofitel Hotel, which remained open for 14 years. In 2023, Unico Hotels rescued the property from abandonment again by enlisting the help of Torrado Arquitectos and Fernanda Schuch Studios to create Hotel Casa Lucía, drawing inspiration from Argentina’s golden age and catering to a new generation of sophisticated travellers.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted in the lobby lounge by a large-scale mural from local artist Cristina Codern. Between the two towers of the building is the glass-encased internal garden, where potted gomero trees, ficus, olive, various types of palms and other plants offset the space’s accents in linen, leather and wood. Elsewhere on the ground floor are two culinary options: Cantina Restaurant and Le Club Bacan.

The restaurant’s aesthetics offer a playful nod to Argentina’s polo culture, thanks to its elegant earth-toned colour scheme and punchy elements of red and green. Inspired by London clubs, meanwhile, Le Club Bacan mixes gold accents, wood panelling, terracotta-toned corduroy armchairs and handcrafted Argentine ceramics. With local DJs spinning sultry beats on select nights, the club draws a well-heeled crowd of locals and guests, who groove into the small hours while sipping some of the 400 varieties of Argentine wine curated by the sommelier.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s 142 rooms and suites boast sleek modern furnishings, wooden panelling and a muted colour palette of creamy greys and whites. Evoking the valleys of the northwest province of Catamarca, lamps by Argentine artist Cristián Mohaded are woven in simbol, a traditional fibrous plant growing in the riverbanks of the region. A standout feature in many rooms is the balconies with river views and plenty of space for sun loungers, dining areas and al fresco showers. A fitness space and spa with a heated swimming pool is set to open later this spring.

Hotel Casa Lucía is located at Arroyo 841, Buenos Aires

hotelcasalucia.com

Social Arquitectos has unveiled QHouse 1, an Argentinian house serving as a new prototype suburban residence designed to accommodate shifting demographics in the post-pandemic world. Described as a ‘response to the urban exodus’ that happened following the pandemic, the shift in working patterns and the country’s increasing political instability, the QHouse 1 is a refined take on the traditional family house, a place of refuge and familiarity in trying times. 

QHouse 1: an Argentinian house of its time

The new house is modestly sized, offering up just enough defensive character to its suburban plot without seeming withdrawn and insular. Building using two different construction systems – concrete and steel frame – the architects were able to cut down on construction time and costs and make the most of each material. At 220 sq m, the house accommodates a family’s needs without unnecessary embellishment or scale. 

The structure also allows for a flexible layout. This first home has an expansive open-plan ground floor, with a covered terrace containing a dining area and outdoor kitchen. This sheltered niche is carved out of the main volume of the house, its exposed concrete walls and ceilings juxtaposed with the vertical metal cladding that wraps around the principal volume. At ground-floor level, light-coloured cerejeira wood cladding is used to contrast with the metal cladding. 

Concrete was used throughout the ground floor and has been left exposed wherever possible. It is complemented by stone flooring and work surfaces. A long run of glazing opens up the ground floor to the patio area, emphasising the importance of the garden and pool area as a social space. 

Windows are scattered across the façade to create precisely framed views and preserve privacy. In particular, the upper floor receives a substantial amount of light from a rooflight and glazed internal courtyard, with a void reaching all the way down to the ground floor. The upstairs study looks across the void to this patio, which is planted to create an internal landscape, around which the life of the house can revolve. 

Upstairs, reached from staircase in the downstairs library, there are two small bedroom suites and a large principal suite, with a view north-east across the development’s water feature. 

While the QHouse 1 is hardly revolutionary, it is certainly different, eschewing both pseudo vernacular stylings and the bland SketchUp Modernism that has become lazy shorthand for contemporary living. Carefully detailed, with a clear divide between social and private spaces, it is an archetype designed to be open to all. 

@social.arquitectos

Argentine designer Cristián Mohaded presents ‘Territorio Híbrido’ (Hybrid Territory), an exhibition at the National Museum of Decorative Art in Buenos Aires (until 6 March 2022) exploring craftsmanship techniques and endemic materials from different regions in Argentina.

More than 20 designs were produced for the exhibition, merging historical and contemporary design approaches throughout a 20-month long process. To put together this body of work, Mohaded travelled across Argentina through the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca, Santiago Del Estero, Tucumán, Salta, and Jujuy. He worked using a variety of techniques, producing handmade fabrics on a creole loom; creole ropes made from raw cow hide and sewn with fine colt-pelt stitches; carpentry made using native woods like missionary moor cedar or the fallen cardon cactus; baskets woven using simbol (a plant fibre). He also worked with minerals including mica, boreal granite, and white onyx.

The exhibition’s centrepiece is an installation titled Campo de Torres (Field of Towers), featuring large-scale columns made of stacked basket-woven shapes paying tribute to his native Catamarca. The collection includes furniture, objects, textiles, and lighting pieces gathered under the ‘Especies Híbridas’ (Hybrid Species) aegis, and placed in conversation with the museum’s spaces and a series of pieces by Argentine ceramic artist Santiago Lena. The exhibition continues with a modular outdoor installation titled Jardín de Estrellas (Garden of Stars), made of seating shaped as triangular prisms.

Mohaded also worked with local silver masters and invited a series of international designers, from Fernando and Humberto Campana to Roberto Sironi, to create sculptural matés, traditional South American drinking vessels. Titled ‘El Encuentro’ (The Encounter), the collection includes a series of vessels mixing silver and wood. 

‘Mohaded has rekindled the notion of an exclusively Argentine design language at a national level,’ reads a text introducing the exhibition. ‘Through the acknowledgement of cultural diversity and productive capacities of local territories, and at an international scale, he shaped a meaningful image of essential Argentine features from a Latin American perspective integrated into a global market.’

INFORMATION

‘Territorio Híbrido’ is on view at the National Museum of Decorative Art in Buenos Aires until 6 March 2021
cristianmohaded.com

ADDRESS

Av. del Libertador 1902 
C1425 CABA
Argentina

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Inspired by the long tradition of Argentinian rural farms, this house in the South American country's area of Entre Rios, sits in parkland within a large estate. Created by the Buenos Aires based architecture studio Tacadi, the project draws on the local vernacular and the region's history, but also contemporary references and modern architecture.

The house's volume sits low, close to the ground, featuring wide openings that frame the surrounding land and create strong connections between architecture and context. Combining white plaster with raw concrete the project's geometries are clear and sharp. The design is arranged in a simple orthogonal shape, punctured at its heart by a long courtyard.

A play of scales ensures the house feels both at home in its open, green setting, and warm and comfortable enough, as a home should. It was all about the balance, explain the architects: ‘From the outside, it is perceived in the dimensions of the vastness of the countryside. Once inside, the human scale is recognized.'

All rooms have direct connection to the outdoors. Laid out in a single, ground floor plan, the project includes living spaces on one side, while all bedrooms are lining the oppose side of the volume. The long courtyard sits inbetween. The private areas feature their own, personal terrace, while a long, paved area provides shaded external space for the living areas and plenty of room of al fresco dining.

INFORMATION
tacadi.com

At the end of the 19th century, a Scottish immigrant landed on the Falkland Islands and joined a surge of people, and 5,000 sheep, travelling north from Punta Arenas to the Santa Cruz region of Argentina. Against all odds, he found a home in the seemingly uninhabitable Patagonian Desert, where the wind shapes everything – from the chronically bent trees to the century-smoothed mountains. Anything permanent must be as hardy as the rocky boulders, morros, that periodically interrupt the flatness.

Yet permanently settle he did, casting down roots and establishing a livestock ranch that grew into an estancia, the local term for a settlement of family members and sta  on the land. The fifth generation descendants of this early Scottish settler are still there today, managing Estancia Morro Chico’s production of high quality merino wool and both beef and mutton.

And while they could certainly empathise with the challenges of the 20th century pioneers, they had their own hurdles to cross, including converting to renewable energy in a heartland of coal production and burning, and modernising the estancia to provide the best working conditions for their staff, all while maintaining its remarkable legacy.

The solution lay in an artful package of restoration and redesign, composed by Lausanne- and Buenos Aires-based architects Richter Dahl Rocha & Associés (RDR). Bringing a balance of Swiss practicality and South American cultural knowledge, their masterplan seamlessly combined a new renewable energy plant with restored original structures, new utility buildings, staff accommodation, and an architecturally unique house for the family, the Casa Morro Chico.

Inspired by the history of the site, the design was defined by the vernacular, materials and construction techniques found in and around Patagonia. Buenos Aires-born architect Ignacio Dahl Rocha started by looking closer at the estancia typology. With his modernist sensibility, he identified the typical estancia buildings as an expression of ‘extreme austerity and a primitive simplicity’. Here he ‘discovered an extraordinary design opportunity in reinterpreting an ordinary shed construction type’.

Views graze the immediate terrain, then fly across the steppe as far as the eye can see

To forge the natural harmony of a settlement, rising up in solidarity against the ‘sublime yet hostile Patagonian Desert’, RDR had to find a way to visually connect the old buildings – ‘witnesses of the pioneers’ saga’ – to the modern additions. The answer was a corrugated aluminium sheet wrapping, applied to all the buildings, new and old. ‘It is the most traditional and ordinary, yet modern and sophisticated material, emblematic of Patagonian construction since the early pioneer settlements,’ says Dahl Rocha.

Carrying strong thermal insulation and a sense of rhythm, from the low-rise utility buildings to the soaring tower of the Casa Morro Chico, the material was easy to source, transport down the rural roads and assemble. And as well as functional, it also became extraordinary, just as Dahl Rocha intended – disappearing into the snowy landscape during winter while brightly reflecting sunshine in the earthy summer landscape.

November issue of Wallpaper* magazine (W*248)

The casa was RDR’s opportunity for further exploration into the estancia typology. ‘The house is just one of the pieces, but it is also the only piece that refers to the complexity of the whole ensemble,’ says Dahl Rocha. Casa Morro Chico is designed as its own micro-settlement – from intimate cottages (the bedroom wing) to a town hall (the grand living space) and look-out tower.

The house’s layout radiates from the open plan communal space, which is anchored by a stacked stone chimney. Two ground floor arms extend out, shielding the entrance and an outdoor patio space from the wind, while a tower looks outwards, sentinel-like. There are two clusters of bedrooms – one pair tucked inside the tower on the first floor and a trio on the ground floor. The landscape feels transcendently present inside these rooms, with their full-height glazing. Views graze the immediate terrain, then fly across the steppe as far as the eye can see.

Compared to the tough wrapper protecting the exterior, a softer skin of eucalyptus grandis timber, sourced from Misiones in Argentina, envelopes the interior walls and ceilings of the house. The heaviness of these layers is alleviated by the high ceilings, but grounded in dark stone slab flooring, sourced from the mountainous regions of San Luis in Argentina.

Like the sensation of the thickest blanket in winter, the weight of the interiors (physically yet also in colour, atmosphere, touch and smell) generates a protective feeling of warmth strong enough to combat the extreme landscape. Creating this cosy feeling, that of ‘home’, in the midst of the stark Patagonian Desert, is perhaps the only challenge RDR had in common with that staunch Scottish pioneer – even a whole century didn’t change that.

As originally featured in the November 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*248)

INFORMATION

richterdahlrocha.com

Two flats in the Buenos Aires’ Palermo district have been given a simultaneous makeover. Inside the Bonpland 2169 building by Adamo-Faiden architects, local design firm Ries were assigned with the job, developing two subtly different territories that naturally unify.

Both homes are a project in compact living, with each taking up a 45 m sq and 32 m sq space respectively. The Argentinian design studio was given free reign on the interiors, and designed all of the furniture for both apartments.

‘It has these Blade Runner vibes, its amazing,’ the practice says of the layered design in the first apartment, a private home. Coining it as ‘the pink curtain apt’, the practice took into consideration the sensual direct sunlight that drenches this space. They invited warming tones, and translucent textures like sheer fabric, perforated metal and smoked glass to let the natural glow thrive, and allow shadows to form a filmic personality throughout.

The second apartment adopts a more solemn tone. ‘We wanted it to feel more like a cave,’ says the studio, which is achieved by a darker palette featuring navy curtains, alongside the use of stone and wood. Ries describe this effect as ‘serious' yet neutral, lending itself to the function as an Airbnb rental. Furniture designed here includes a wooden wardrobe, black coated steel chairs and table, and a terrazzo-style stone tabletop.

There is a subtle trend that aligns the two apartments – circular shapes. This wasn't intentional, but occurred as a progression during the design procedure. ‘When we first started designing furniture all our pieces were edgy with lots of angles, and orthogonal shapes. Somehow we shifted from that direction and began to design more rounded and circle shaped pieces. So having these pieces is a result of our process as a furniture design studio, applied to an interior design project. It is a picture of a moment.’ Reflective piping, enveloping round mirrors, and back rests curve in a similar direction in both open plan homes. 

INFORMATION

ries.com

Estudio Galera Architecture has designed an extension to an existing house in Buenos Aires for a growing family with a penchant for gastronomy. An expanded kitchen – with more space for socialising, storage and seating – was required, and a pavilion in the garden opened up many more creative possibilities. Architect Ariel Galera describes the project as a ‘re-functionalisation’.

Using a bold approach to architectural form, the existing house was elevated into a space with a totally new look and feel. This was partly done by the strong use of long protruding concrete beams that define both the new extension and pavilion design.

For Galera, it was important to build a visual connection between the two – the aim was for the design to not look like an adaptation or a reproduction, yet to have its own identity in its own right. While the structures do not use the same geometry or arrangement, they are echoes of each other converse through scale, shape and materiality.

Located at the back of the site, a short walk from the house and surrounded by aged trees, the concrete pavilion was a chance to be both functional and expressive. The little out-house provides spill-over space for all the activities of the family. It is a sewing room, photography studio, pool house with grilling facilities and sometimes a guest house.

The pavilion entrance is aligned with the openings in the new extension, and it rests on a high point of sand dune that is in fact level to that of the original house. The shifting level of the ground worked to the advantage of the design, opening up an external play area for the children beneath a cantilevering beam of concrete. 

INFORMATION

estudiogalera.com

Located within a quiet and exclusive residential community, yet bordered on one side by a busy road – the Pan-American Highway – Casa MB owes its low profile and massing to its context, say its Argentinian authors, the Buenos Aires-based architecture studio Colle-Croce.

The young and dynamic firm, headed by Sebastían Colle and Rodolfo Croce, examined the area’s masterplan and the residential plot’s relationship to the streets around it, to determine their project's final composition. The resulting design was a low and discreet, L-shaped building that turns its back on its neighbouring structures and completely transforms and unfolds towards the open spaces at its heart.

The design, for a home in this flat lot in the San Carlos neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, maintains a careful balance between open and closed, public and private; it also creates a minimalist platform for contemporary family living.

Spread mostly across a single level, the house contains on its ground floor all the social and entertainment areas, such as dining room, kitchen and lounge. On the opposite end of the plan, is a wing housing a study, a solarium and pool. The whole ground floor spills effortlessly out towards the garden, which is part green and part decked, with a rectangular pond of water. In contrast to this, the top floor is rather compact in comparison, reserved for the family's three bedrooms. The master bedroom in particular is orientated towards long views of the surrounding nature and roofscape.  Large openings and a sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces, such as patios and a partially covered exterior ramp, as well as the sizeable garden, emphasize this house’s strong relationship with its environment. Meanwhile the use of simple, naked concrete inside and out, and the composition's horizontality, further underline the framed views. This is offset and softened by solid blocks of Kiri wood walls in different parts of the design. 

INFORMATION

collecroce.com

Following the success of Santa Teresita Counter, their seaside restaurant in Uruguay’s upscale resort town of José Ignacio, chef Fernando Trocca and restaurateur Martin Pittaluga have teamed up once again for the launch of Orilla, their second outpost in Buenos Aires.

For her first restaurant project, designer Agustina Aguilar has brought a little bit of Uruguay’s laidback beach atmosphere to this urban bolthole by inserting a skylight at one end of the elongated room, which bathes the nature-inspired interiors with natural light.

There are three distinct spaces, which are linked through their bold green hues and circular motifs that appear in details like the mirrors and the pendant lights. The open kitchen area is lined with standout aquamarine butcher tiles while, in contrast, the main dining room is characterised by a plant-filled mural and raw materials including a sleek timber ceiling by local design firm Sticotti.

Next door, bottle green and grey tones are revealed through tactile velvet walls that, together with low-level lighting, create a softer mood to indulge in an array of creative cocktails from Inés De Los Santos, the city’s hottest bartender. They make the perfect starter to enjoy the meat and vegetable dishes – like the charred eggplant topped with tahini – that fly off the Josper grill.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Montañeses 2585

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For his inaugural restaurant venture, entrepreneur Damian Harburguer’s plant-based eatery, located in style conscious Palermo Hollywood, proposes an international approach to vegan food, with a slick menu of seasonal and organic local ingredients, strictly devoid of animal derivatives.

Majia concept studio, worked with Argentinian artisans and carpenters, creating bespoke chairs, native petiribí wooden tables and terrazzo floors made in situ. A makeshift screen of livistona chinensis plants in artisanal ceramic planters divides the custom-made carrara terrazzo bar and reception dining area. A revamped Porteño park bench with a Saltean Aguayo cloth backrest flanks the communal oak table. Order the exceptional fennel gin or a pear pisco at the bar.

Dark blue laser cut out motif screens create a pleasing backdrop to the intimate velvet blue booths in the central dining area. A  global soundtrack mirrors the origin of each dish. Outside, the verdant patio area boasts a huge mural by Eloisa Ballivian.

The sharing options include the wafer thin dosa and stand out palta tikka, aromatic crusted avocado in a velvety smooth curry sauce. Don’t miss the sublime ‘Snickers’ style salted caramel chocolate tart and avocado lime pie, rounded off with an almond milk cortado. Everything is made in house including the fresh coconut water available to go.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Costa Rica 6038
Palermo Hollywood
Buenos Aires

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Every now and then, you come across a hotel that is so special, you want to keep it a closely guarded secret. Awasi Iguazú is such a place.

Enveloped by the lush thickets of emerald green rainforest, a short 20-minute drive from  the breathtaking Iguazú Falls, the property is the Argentine debut - following two Chilean properties - of the Awasi group, best-known for its eco-friendly lodges in off-the-beaten-track locations.

Comprising just 14 raised stand-alone villas, including one two-bedroom master suite, the resort is the work of Buenos Aires-based designers Eugenia Choren and Patricia Diedrichs in collaboration with Awasi's owner, Ana Sainz de Vicuña, whose aim was to let the setting of the rainforest and the tumbling Iguazú River dominate the tableau. 

Amidst a mood-board of whitewashed timber, lofty beamed ceilings, bespoke wooden furnishings and local handcrafted accessories like ceramics, woven baskets and botanical-themed watercolour paintings, each villa has its own wrap-around wooden deck with its own plunge pool, while the spacious bathrooms come complete with large bath tubs and fragrant organic toiletries by Fueguia 1883.

The property is anchored by the open-plan main lodge, which is made up of a lounge area, bar and restaurant, dressed with natural materials like linens, woven chairs and cowhide rugs in neutral low-key hues. A warm and inviting spot then, to enjoy a glass of Malbec before chef Aarón Castillo Tellería sends out seasonal dishes, like the  marinated pacú with mango and fennel salad, that are inspired by the rainforest and it surroundings.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Selva Yriapú S/N
Puerto Iguazú
Misiónes

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For its Buenos Aires property, the first outside of Europe, Barcelona-based hotel outfit, Grupo Regina were one step ahead when it smartly tapped Lázaro Rosa-Violán for the interiors, the designer executing a considered cultural piece that is both charming in its subtlety and striking in its modernity.

Taking up residence in a contemporary new-build by architect Guillermo Roitenberg just a short stride from the leafy old-world charm of the city's Recoleta neighbourhood, the hotel has fast become a go-to spot for travellers looking for the best of both worlds. Inside, Rosa-Violán took his cues from the art deco heritage of Argentina's Golden Age, with steel-trimmed modular furniture, mirrors and signature graphic lines that are revealed through a striking aquamarine, cool white and bold black palette.

There is an eighth-floor pool that is best experienced cocktail in hand, during the summer months, while the 13th-floor Sky Bar is ideal for a pre-prandial sundowner before heading downstairs to Boca de Toro, the hotel's new ground floor restaurant, which serves up a mix of European and Argentine dishes to guests and locals alike. 

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Maipú 907
Buenos Aires

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Further cementing Villa Devoto as Buenos Aires' new culinary hub is the arrival of Mecha, an all-day steakhouse and bar, from the same group behind other neighbourhood favourites Alicia de Luca and Casa Lucca, just around the corner.

Local studio MMCV - who are also behind the design of the other two restaurants - has this time teamed up with architecture firm NidoLab to assemble a trio of glass an iron-framed cubes anchored by a distinct concrete building, which houses the main dining room.

With the intent to create a diverse space that could be used year-round, the architects say: 'we needed to build closed, temperature-controlled spaces, that could be used as an extension of the covered salon, and that would adapt to the neighbourhood’s lifestyle of group gatherings and family outings.'

White bricks, concrete and terrazzo flooring line the interiors of the main restaurant. This is softened by adark leather banquette that runs the length of the space, simple timber tables and chairs and hanging cage light fittings covered in ivy. A glass wine case meanwhile takes centre stage, encasing the staircase and also linking the ground and mezzanine levels. This provides a visual sense of continuity that is further highlighted by a mirrored backing, creating an infinite repetition of the bottles on display.

A 30-metre long concrete bar serves as the stage for the open kitchen, which sends out local dishes cooked on an open fire from a menu devised by the late chef Hugo Macchia. Expect deliciously rich sweetbreads served with potato rostis and charred sweetcorn; crispy lamb empanadas; or -for true meat lovers - the extra large, 1,200 gram T-bone steak.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Mercedes 3939

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Meaning ‘happiness’ in Spanish, La Feliz is the project of couple Patricio Lix Klett and Celeste Bernardini, who – along with their own collection of furniture and lighting – have curated a standout asssortment of homeware and accessories, from some of Buenos Aires’ best contemporary talent, in what has become the city’s hottest design mecca.

The space itself, housed in typical 19th-century Palermitano house, is set over four rooms and is arranged as a mock home complete with living and dining rooms. Designed by the owners themselves, the store’s Pino Tea wooden floors and muted colour scheme do much to highlight the wares, which include pieces from Buenos Aires-based studios, RIES, Taller Posible, Chalé and Oficios Asociados. Outside, the eye-catching façade is clad with metal tiles that are illuminated by a large knitted lamp that hangs on the narrow sidewalk.

From a landscape photo signed by Matías Lix Klett to minimal copper trays, it’s hard to leave this shop empty handed.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Pasaje Santa Rosa 4932

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Celeste Najt

The good folks behind Ninina Bakery, have strengthened their foothold in Buenos Aires by opening a second outpost in the city. Located off the beaten track, in Barrio Parque Donado Holmberg, an up-an-coming neighbourhood now sprinkled with low-rise residential buildings from top architects including Carlos Ott, Mathias Klotz and Edgardo Minond, the new site, outfitted once again by local firm Estudio Verardo, depicts traces of the flagship café, but with a more industrial look.

As such, white-painted bricks, cement floors, exposed ceiling pipes and oak wall panels create a foundation for leather Chesterfield sofas, old public school-style chairs, recycled Brazilian pine tables and copper lamps that lend a soft glow over the marble counter that displays the brand’s signature cakes and pastry.

The space’s focal point is the Coffee Roastery, where patrons can peer down on the action of trained baristas searching for the best blends of coffees.

The kitchen meanwhile, churns out classic café fare made with 100 per cent natural ingredients. Expect crowd pleasers such as the vegetarian sandwich made from homemade herb bread stuffed with squash, zucchini, eggplant, caramelised fennel and fior di latte; and the fresh shrimp salad with avocado, wild arugula, grapefruit and watercress and tossed with a mango and jalapeño dressing.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Holmberg 2464

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gustavo Sosa Pinilla

Located in the thrumming Palermo Viejo neighbourhood, Tetuán Brasero Marroquí is the latest addition to the Buenos Aires food circuit from Juan Martín Migueres and Nicolás Wolowelski, the cousins behind the popular Benaim and La Pastronería restaurants.

Occupying a former warehouse, which once housed an Arab kitchen, the space has been beautifully restored, by virtuoso architect Ana Rascovsky, with a Moroccan vibe that makes the most of the seven-metre high ceilings featuring communal and individual tables and potted plants that create a fresh and vibrant feel.

At the entrance, a compact beer bar – a modern take on a traditional kasbah – is a cosy space with walls that are covered in burlap and pendants that hang from the ceiling. The perfect spot for a preprandial cocktail or a craft beer before moving onto the main restaurant to sample chef Nacho García Lucero’s concise menu that focuses on Moroccan street food with simple and tasty dishes such as the perfectly seared rib eye brochette served with baba ganoush. These dishes are meant for sharing, of course, in good company, as one would come to expect in any desert oasis.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Dr Emilio Ravignani 1780

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Francisco Iurcovich

Since it opened in 2014 in a leafy Buenos Aires neighbourhood, Casa Cavia has carved out quite a name for itself, drawing an appreciative crowd to its high-ceilinged warren of rooms that are variously staged as restaurant, publishing house, bookstore, florist and perfumery.

Perhaps as a recognition of the economic realities of running a multi-functional space and the margins involved, owner Guadalupe García Mosqueda has increased the food and beverage offerings. Once again, Kallos Turin Architects have been recruited for the job of expanding the F&B spaces, including a larger, bright kitchen, and a courtyard bar framed by the existing square pool, an emerald green living wall and high brass and leather stools.

A more significant change is the appointment of Julieta Caruso as the new head chef. Fresh off nearly a decade long stint with Mugaritz, the native Argentinian’s new menu cleverly riffs off Casa Cavia’s bibliographic bent in which each dish is inspired by a global spread of books and authors. Though the literary lineage is not always immediately obvious, it’s still a fun exercise in interpretive dining when confronted by beef cheeks and vegetables (Emilia Pardo Bazán’s ‘The House of Ulloa’, and chocolate cookies with dulce de leche (Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind.

Meanwhile, we have William Faulkner to thank for the cocktail of mint, sage, green apple whiskey and cinnamon. We’re already prepping for our next book club meeting.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Cavia 2985
Palermo Chico

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The streets of Güemes come alive at night, making it one of the best bar-hopping neighbourhoods in Córdoba, especially if you’re looking for a hidden gem. Bar Capri itself, is tucked down a narrow pedestrian alleyway, its concealment, just one of it cool factors. The other one, is its slick design by newcomers, Rodrigo Schiavoni and Adan Yenerich of local firm Sy, who have created a relaxed, earthy space with a polished twist.

As such, raw exposed brick and concrete form an unfussy base that has been furnished with a mix of plush marble tables and simple wooden school chairs from the 1980s, which is all pulled together in a thoroughly modern mossy green and electric blue colour palette. ‘Our goal was to create a friendly and comfortable environment,’ explain the duo. ‘An urban and relaxed space, intentionality global and cosmopolitan but with an 80s feeling.’

While there’s enough to keep merrymakers anchored for an entire evening, if you are on the hop, make sure you pop by for Fresh, one of their signature cocktails made with cold English Breakfast tea and spiced up with a mixture of gin, ginger and grapefruit juice.

ADDRESS

Belgrano 884

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

It was the topography of the secluded plot, settled within a luscious manmade forest on the sloping dunes of Cariló, a coastal town south of Buenos Aires, which guided the design of Casa Kuvasz. On visiting the location for the first time, Ariel Galera, principal at Estudio Galera Arquitectura, agreed with the owners that the house should respect and accentuate the natural landscape.

By lifting the cool mass of the house off the ground with slim concrete ribs, echoing the surrounding vertical tree trunks and reducing the impact of the build, Galera opened up the main living area to natural light and the leafy landscape with an open facade of terrace space and glazing. A concrete corridor, wrapping around and inclining up the sloping dune to the house, connects the floating form to the forest terrain.

Take an interactive tour of Casa Kuvasz

‘The access is in the lowest part of the lot and the vertical circulation accompanies the natural change of level,’ says Galera. ‘The upper floor functions as a "piano nobile" where almost all the programme unfolds. This floor touches the lot in a few spots while dominating the landscape in others.’

The enclosed concrete stair is perforated with circles, taking the inhabitants on a journey from the landscape and into the house. ‘The idea was that the stairs' sleeve first rejects the landscape, only to then empower it. This contributes to seeing architecture as a path and sequence of sensations,’ says Galera.

‘The perforated circles on the concrete were designed to glimpse at the landscape at specific points, at the time that provides soft and changing lighting throughout the day.’ The architects studied the relationship of natural light to the location – ‘a permanent and interesting challenge due to its variable nature’, says Galera. ‘We believe that it is paramount to connect technology to phenomenology, the sensorial elements, especially when we are designing a house and not a public building. Thus, we set this as a challenge: to transform the architecture from being static into something dynamic.’

Continuing to play with framing, light and shadow, the architects extended the roof slab out over the terraces as an overhanging concrete pergola, while the lower concrete beam overhangs to form a bench and open up a gap exposing the land below.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Estudio Galera website

While quality food markets are a dime a dozen in Argentina’s Córdoba city, upscale ingredient-focused deli/restaurant hybrids are just starting to pick up. Ahead of the curve is Crudo, a project from a trio of young, local architects, Daniela Laham, Tatiana Rubín and Juan Agustín Gielis.

Located in Nueva Córdoba, a bustling centrally located university district packed with museums, bars and restaurants, the eatery is set over two floors: on the lower level, fully-stocked shelves and fridges display a variety of kosher, celiac, vegan and organic products, cold cuts, cheeses and wines, while in the upstairs dining room, Tolix bar stools and chairs and subway tiles in a fresh yellow and white colour scheme, provide a modern space in which diners can watch the chefs action from the glass-walled kitchen. ‘Our goal was to submerge customers in a route that would sharpen their senses. Where the search and experimentation became the key elements,’ explain the architects.

Chef Manuel Rodriguez serves up concoctions such as veal with Malbec syrup and chimichurri, served with potatoes sautéed in butter with herbs and fresh melon, cucumber and watermelon juice. The produce is all seasonal and all the ingredients can be purchased downstairs, before you leave, of course.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Independencia 624

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Gonzalo Viramonte

Estudio Borrachia has constructed a wooden weekend home for a young family in the countryside just outside of Buenos Aires. Built on a grassy plot among trees and foliage, Casa de Madera breathes nature – indoor space is extended into outdoor terraces and wild plants will grow from its roof.

Selecting the material because of its easy indigenous availability and ease of transportation and construction, the architects used the building as a test – to create a well-designed, pre-fabricated and low-cost home that could be realised quickly. The result is a generous two-bedroom build with plenty of living space, completed in under five months without altering the surrounding eco-system.

Take an interactive tour of Casa de Madera

The design was defined by the properties of the main material – wood – which was used for the structure, cladding, division and deck. Consequently, a single-storey modular plan of connecting rooms and covered terraces was born, combining spatial efficiency with outdoor living.

Nature is part of the design itself. Cross ventilation and shady areas surrounding the house make for passive temperature regulation and with time wild fauna will grow from a bed of soil submerged within the corregations of the roof.

Casa de Madera is part of an architectural series by the Buenos Aires-based practice, titled ‘Housing Habitat’, which explores the relationship between homes and their environments. As well as commissions, the studio, led by Oscar and Alejandro Borrachia, is involved with academic research around the study of society, often collaborating with local organisations to advance their work.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Estudio Borrachia website

Photography: Fernando Schapochnik

Having built his career at institutions such as Mugaritz in the Basque Country, along with overseeing a handful of restaurants in Madrid, Menorca and Rio de Janeiro, Michelin star chef Paco Morales has finally returned to his home turf of Córdoba, to launch his latest venture, Noor.

Meaning ‘light’ in Arabic, Noor is something of a cultural project for Morales who has joined forces with food writer Rosa Tovar as well as a team of culinary history consultants to create a concept inspired by the Arabic history of the city.

More specifically focusing on the 10th century, when the city was at the height of it splendour, the menu features modern dishes, based on ancient recipes that uses only Old World ingredients. As such, dishes like roast pigeon and foie gras are cooked using typical Arabic ingredients such as nuts, roses and dates along with now obsolete products for the cuisine, from bitter orange to coriander.

This continues to the interiors - assembled by architecture studio GGLab - who also only used materials from that era to create a space inspired by Medina Azahara, the ruins of an Arab Muslim medieval palace on the outskirts of Córdoba. Decorative Arabic motifs from varying geographical origins add texture to a low-key, light palette, while considered lighting creates a futuristic mood, further reinforced by the waiters, who are outfitted in uniforms designed by directional Spanish brand X-Adnan.

With just eight tables, make sure you book in advance.

ADDRESS

Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 8

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This low, concrete family home in Argentina’s San Carlos may appear unassuming, but upon closer inspection, its intricate floorplan and strong relationship with nature says otherwise.

A joint venture between two Buenos Aires firms – Marcelo Del Torto and Torrado Arquitectos – the house faithfully follows the clients’ brief. The owners, a family of four, were after a modern and relaxed home with plenty of outdoor space. The team duly obliged, and went on to envision the 350 sq m property with an impressive open plan layout, dotted with courtyards.

The architects’ first challenge was to place the structure appropriately on its woodland plot, dividing the interior program into two perpendicular volumes; one of them houses the public areas, and the second contains bedrooms for both children and adults, bathrooms and a playroom. 

The team wanted to preserve the several ancient trees on site, which meant working the plan around the existing greenery to design the interior flow in direct response to the surrounding nature. So, when the design encountered a tree, an opening was created to accommodate it.

For example, the large central courtyard that borders the open plan living, dining, family room and kitchen also hosts a large Ceiba tree. This tree also cleverly provides shelter from the elements when the owners use the nearby outdoor clay oven and grill. Similarly, another courtyard framing an Araucaria tree sits next to the master bedroom.

The home’s series of horizontal and vertical planes feature a soft and sophisticated material palette. Three main elements stand out: concrete, which was chosen for its ability to provide structural solutions for the building; San Juan stone, selected for its beauty and hardwearing qualities; and locally sourced Lapacho wood, a long lasting material that adds warmth to the minimalist interior.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Marcelo Del Torto website or the Torrado Arquitectos website

The much anticipated second outpost of popular Buenos Aires café, Naná has finally opened its doors, this time in the tranquil rose garden of the city’s Tres de Febrero Park. 

More precisely located under the railway tracks in one of the historically protected 21 brick arches that now house a selection of hip bars, gym clubs and restaurants, the eatery is suitably imbued with industrial and railway references thanks to architect Alejandro Delisio of local outfit Estudio +3. 

Enhanced by large iron-framed windows, which flooded with natural light, the arcade opens onto a secluded patio and beyond that, the park. Meanwhile, custom wood and iron furnishings, leather train-style banquettes and a cement counter complete the look.’We wanted to convey an industrial, clean aesthetic that tuned with the history of the place but also integrated Naná’s identity, which is feminine, romantic and warm,’ explain Paula and Sofía Reynal, the sisters behind the concept.

Chef Hernán Gipponi churns out easy-to-please dishes such as organic Formosa rice with shrimps, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and leek; or expertly prepared Saturday and Sunday brunch including French Toast with mascarpone and berries, homemade foam of yoghurt with fruits, ginger, granola and honey all served with a glass of Aperol Spritz or sparkling wine.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

The Rose Garden
Arco 9
Av Libertador 3887

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Diego Spivacow

Rosario-based architect Nicolás Campodónico recently unveiled designs for a new chapel placed in the heart of a ranch in the outskirts of La Playosa, a village with less than 3,000 inhabitants, three hours drive from Córdoba city. 

Tailored to reflect the needs of modern worshippers – the owners of the estancia as well as the locals – Saint Bernard's Chapel, named after the local patron saint, breathes new life into the site with a 92 m sq structure made entirely from the remains of a former dwelling found on the site.

Nestled between a grove and wild fields, a simple brick-box exterior is cleverly combined with artfully curved interiors, giving the space a uniquely organic feel. The private sanctuary's volume opens up towards the sun, capturing the natural light of the sunset in the central space, enveloping worshippers in a womb-like haze. 

Campodónico's first religious project is certainly elevating, not just because of its natural surroundings and complete absence of modern services, but also because of its subtle yet meaningful design. Set apart along the exterior, a vertical and horizontal pole cast playful shadows against the interior walls, creating a cross when the sunset brings the intersecting lines together.  

'The crucifixion is conceptually completed here with the union of two poles,' explains the architect. 'Every day, the shadows of the poles make their way separately [around the curved interior], representing the via crucis, to finally meet and recreate the cross, which is not only a symbolic cross but a ritualistic one,' bringing a cosmic dimension and elevating the brick structure into a conceptual space.  
 
If nothing else, Campodónico has succeeding in creating a religious environment that connects nature with the search of the divine.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the website of Nicolás Campodónico

When it comes to creating an immersive shopping, food and drink experience, few Argentines go to the extent that Emilio Bruno has repeatedly proved. His latest endeavour is Casa Chabacana, a compact collective space, in Córdoba’s hip Guemes neighbourhood, that includes a bar, a tea time venue, two clothing boutiques, and a sex and plant shop where guests can experience a different vibe. ’I want to achieve an eclectic identity that resembles London’s atmosphere, but transferred to our idiosyncrasies,’ says Bruno on briefing his creative team.

Set within two conjoining houses from the 1950s and spread over two levels, the shop has been transformed by Abdenur Architects, a local firm who has enhanced the building’s original features with vintage and salvaged materials while the overall look and feel, also in the same mood, was created by interior designer Luz Castellano, another native of Córdoba city.  

The ground floor accommodates five of the six venues while the adventure continues upstairs where a rich, playful cocktail bar with an ample terrace, that offers a change of pace and welcomes the youthful crowd. Exposed brick walls, industrial style iron chairs, native wood floorings, pendant lighting and an eight metre long metal counter topped with white marble, creates intimate nooks in which to sample Chabacano´s signature drink, Agua de Valencia, an explosive concoction made of sparkling wine, orange juice, vodka, gin and sugar.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Fructuoso Rivera 243

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

Casa Alamos, Architects Estudio Galera latest residential build, is nestled within the picturesque seaside town of Pinamar, Argentina. Sitting on a lot of just over 900 sq m, the home’s concrete form and ‘floating’ main body makes a strong visual statement against its lustrous natural surroundings.

Ariel Galera, the studio's head, says that feelings of 'living, feeling, growing and enjoyment' were within the main themes that inspired him for the design. His approach comes alive in the property's many playful details. Bold use of materials, interplay between light and shadow, and creative use of space, showcases the architects’ ability to have fun, while creating a top quality, highly functional family home.

The house appears to float above ground, and lifting it might make for a striking move but it was far from merely an aesthetic choice. ‘Making the house float over the terrain was the key action that makes sense to the house’, says Galera explaining that the absence of a ground floor helps create a sheltered outdoor area, which the whole family can enjoy to relax and entertain friends.

The minimalist ground floor provides the main access to the upper levels, also linking the house to the garden. Climbing towards the first floor, glimpses of the surrounding pines are visible through the breaks within the stairwell's concrete. The spectacular views of the surrounding nature only fully unfold when reaching the house’s main living area. Towards the rear of the property lies the spacious master bedroom, accompanied by an en suite bathroom and an extending room divider that can create a separate playroom for the children when needed.

Light plays a pivotal role in the design. The architects studied the effect of the changes of light in each season; this informed the design in different parts of the house. Different visual elements were added to celebrate these changes, such as iron slabs with rectangular perforations that cast playful shadows within.

Concrete is the project's material protagonist. Polished concrete floors offset the rough textured concrete walls and are a welcome contrast to the home’s warm wooden tones and sporadic flashes of marble. The addition of expanded polystyrene within the walls, cleverly helps regulate the structure's internal temperature throughout the winter and summer months.

INFORMATION
For more information on Estudio Galera visit the website

Located in the heart of the bustling historic barrio of Córdoba city, a quick stroll from the splendorous 1580s cathedral, Azur Real hotel has just emerged from a makeover courtesy of local architect Lucía Roland of Estudio Capó and Buenos Aires-based interior designer Sofía Camps. 

‘The idea was not to compete with the old feeling of the property,’ explains Camps. ‘We wanted to create a balanced contrast, highlighting the virtue of the old and new, merging into a balanced space where both coexist in perfect harmony.’ As such, the 16 light-filled rooms are based on a restful neutral palette of smooth browns, beiges and greys with occasional bright lime accents that add a bit of zest. Warm wood flooring that extends onto the walls creates a sleek effect, while custom-weaved headboards and comfortable linen-covered armchairs lend texture.

The new outdoor terrace with its compact pool and ample sofas, make it the perfect spot to hangout with friends for a pre or postprandial tipple.

INFORMATION
Website

PHOTOGRAPHY
Architect Gonzalo Viramonte

When Córdoba natives Mariano Mas and Juan Ignacio Goroso began making homemade pasta in their own kitchens for friends and family in the city, few would have thought it would eventually turn into a best seller gourmet brand with their own shop. 

Located on a quiet street in the affluent Cerro de Las Rosas neighbourhood, the new store attracts attention, not least for its prominent exterior that juts out onto the pavement. Designed by local firm Estudio Montevideo, together with carpenter Pablo Dellatorre, Manjatu was inspired by the classic shape of a house, most often drawn by children. ‘From day one, we thought that the sidewalk should become a key element of this project. We wanted to literally get the shop onto the pavement and invite people to come in and to recognise, from the outside, that something different was going on,’ explains architect Gabriela Jagodnik.

Indeed, a row of 11 sharply arched Guaica wood silhouettes outside continue straight into the interior, where a series of shelves - style with minimal produce - flank a long marble table, which takes centre stage. This leads to the counter at the end, which is backed by a wall clad in white subway tiles and adorned with a 1930s wooden butcher’s fridge.

Wooden herb planters outside, meanwhile, encourage shoppers to pick them, free of charge, to fix their own delicious sauces.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Luis de Tejeda 3975

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

A short stroll from Córdoba’s historic district, the once gritty neighbourhood, Güemes has slowly been transforming into one of the hottest nightlife destinations in town. In the heart of this hip area, is Capitán, a large-scale beer house and the fifth venue from local hospitality maverick, Guillermo Cacciavillani.

Once a police station built in the 1970s, an extensive eight-month renovation has resulted in a brutal iron, concrete and glass affair that evidences Cacciavillani’s love for rigorous lines and spatial fluidity.

Outside, a rusty seven-metre high chimney takes centre stage, while light bounces off the angular windows adding shimmering substance to the otherwise stark facade. Spread over two floors, that are connected by a dramatic spiral staircase, the similarly unadorned interiors are sharply punctuated with furnishings and lighting fixtures in fire engine red. ‘My biggest goal was transforming this neighbourhood and creating an engaging place that will allure a young population,’ says Cacciavillani.

In the summer months, an ice cold brew is best enjoyed on the outdoor terrace. We suggest the two signature local craft beers Honey by Tío Sam and Wallace Scotch Ale by Vulp.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Achaval Rodríguez 244

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Gonzalo Viramonte

Launching in the stylish Cerro de Las Rosas neighbourhood, Córdoba’s first design-led hostel is spearheading the transformation of affordable hospitality in the city.

Architect Juan Manuel Roque Allende revamped two existing houses, while creative directors Eugenia Beltran and Pilar Carranza of local agency, The Atar, are the brains behind the eclectic interiors, furnished in a mishmash of styles with florid colour contrasts and clashing patterns.

Chairs by Konstantin Grcic and Philippe Starck are not on the list of your average hostel, but it is the mix of these designs with gritty street art, Moroccan patterned walls and antique wooden doors, that gives the hostel a pastiche charm. ‘The hotel resembles a travel experience with each space conveying its own and unique flavour,’ explain the designers. ‘You feel right in the jungle, while in the next room is a French Bistro atmosphere with Berlin and London accents. We worked carefully on giving the hotel a coexistence of styles.’  

There are variety of sleeping options, including five rooms that can accommodate up to eight people and three compact ensuite double rooms. Facilities also include a chill out zone with an outdoor pool, a garden, a bar, a projection room, a library lounge, a breakfast room and a fully equipped communal kitchen.

ADDRESS

Rafael Nuñez 4264

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Though Palermo Viejo is hardly lacking retail destinations, the encroachment of excess can be felt in the presence of mainstream brands that have pushed out most of the true independents.

Oli Martínez, entrepreneur co-director of Ensayo General, a hip hidden gallery in the area, is aiming to buck that trend with Tokonoma, located on the edge of this buzzy neighbourhood. The two level store, accessed through a metal bridge, is a soothing minimal oasis designed by architect Clara Ortega. Inside, a simple palette of materials including natural woods, micro cement flooring and arty wallpapers, lend the space a soft elegance that allows customers to stumble serendipitously upon Martínez’s thoughtfully curated selection of handmade items including pottery, jewellery, glass and tableware by 22 of the top local artists and designers.

‘The foremost criterion is quality of design, with a clear preference for form over colour or textures,’ says Martínez. ‘I am interested in everyday objects such as tableware designs.’ We were particularly taken by the ornate coffee sets from Carolina Antoniadis and hand painted dining table by Silvana Lacarra.

ADDRESS

Cabrera 5037

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Daniela Mac Adden

Located on a leafy street in Buenos Aires’ residential neighbourhood of Banfield, Broome is the area’s first swish restaurant.

Conceived by debutants Agustina and Mary Amores - with the initial aid of The Wow Factor agency in the making of the mood board - this fresh outpost has instantly become a firm favourite for locals and visitors alike. ‘We wanted to create a classic yet cosy atmosphere with modern touches. Relaxed, elegant and laid back,’say duo.

With a prevailing palette of blues with accents of grey, white and gold, the furnishings include Tom Dixon lightings, a comfortable capitone sofa, high-backed chairs upholstered with velvet and a Petiribi wood library filled with a curated selection of small home & fashion accessories.The courtyard, with a subway tile bar and vintage hanging lamps contains Tolyx chairs and wooden couches.

Iván Vera, a Mexican chef cum architect and photographer has created a menu including typical Argentine food with a Latino touch while Mary Amores is the pastry chef offering French and American style minicakes. We recommend plumping for the bife de chorizo with creamy chimichurri and for dessert, three mousses including milk chocolate, chocolate with orange and passion fruit all washed down with a glass of Malbec, of course.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Leandro N. Alem 901

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Gabriel Brenner, the man behind Argentine fashion brands such as María Cher and A.Y. Not Dead, has now unveiled Editor Market, a chic concept store housed in a Rationalist building in downtown Buenos Aires.

Under the leadership of creative director and interior designer, Coty Larguía, the outlet has fast become the city’s hippest lifestyle hub, offering la crème de la crème of Argentine talent. Brenner enlisted mother and daughter duo, architects Irene Joselevich and Ana Rascovsky, to transform the eight-floor building into a series of light-filled rooms, each with an individual appearance. ‘We want our customers to meander around and be able to discover something new in every corner,’ says Larguía, who was influenced by major players such as Dover Street Market and Paris’ Merci.

Larguía’s carefully curated brands include lighting by Federico Churba, bicycles from Monochrome and Fueguía’s perfumes and candles, while the fashion, jewellery, shoes and accessories were strictly the domain of art director Silvana Grosso, who chose a mix of top labels such as Ramírez and Tramando to sit alongside lesser known local names from Boerr- Yarde Buller to Manto.

NFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

San Martín y Corrientes

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Tostado Café Club is the latest addition to a growing number of Buenos Aires restaurants keen to redefine traditional lunchtime fare such as pasta, steak and empanadas, with revamped takes on the classic Argentine tostado.

Interiors, by architects Hitzig Militello and industry consultants The Brand Bean, have been created for both time-poor work types as well as passersby looking for a spot to take a breather. Downstairs, soft lighting, slate grey tiles and whitewashed wood panelling initiates a cosy atmosphere further enhanced by custom made chesterfield and cushioned armchairs by local furniture outfit, Casa Fad.

Meanwhile, upstairs, a window counter with reproduction Bertoia wire bar stools is the perfect position for solo diners to people watch, while munching on grilled vegetable, cheese and Parma ham toasted sandwiches.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Avenida Cordoba 1510

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Measuring just two and a half metres wide and 32 metres long, the newest restaurant in the city of Córdoba is literally located in a passageway, tucked between two buildings. Originally formed in 1870, the gloomy alley has been re-shaped by Argentine architect Ernesto Bedmar – head of Singapore-based firm Bedmar & Shi Design – and local interior designer Lucía Roland, to feature a light-filled space, set over two floors and seating just 36 people. ‘The idea was to create a space full of natural light,’ says Bedmar, who also happens to be the owner and was inspired the Asian knack to create the most out of small spaces. The original brick wall has been retained on one side, while exposed concrete conceals the other, highlighting the restaurant’s contrast between traditional and contemporary. Sleek, custom-made furniture fashioned from Guatambú timber is offset by a heavy-duty installation by artist Santiago Lena; weighing in at a monster 800kg, the piece –which hangs from the ceiling – depicts a flock of birds, made from 1,000 ceramic pieces. In the compact kitchen, chef Javier Rodriguez serves up a fresh, local menu from Patagonian king crab with capers, raisins and apple to veal sweetbreads with peppers and chimichurri- all cooked on the charcoal grill and in the wood fired ovens, of course. 

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Arturo M. Bas 69
Córdoba

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Gonzalo Viramonte

The latest restaurant to launch in Beunos Aires’ Palermo Viejo neighbourhood is a bar and restaurant on the ground floor of Dazzler Hotel. Interiors – by local architect Sergio Oliva Gerli – took cues from London’s East End and the St. Germain des Prés area in Paris. ‘Just like writer Jorge Luis Borges said, our city is a cosmopolitan melting pot of world styles and I’d like to believe that’s the essence of Snatch,’ says Gerli. A smooth Peteribi wood panelled bar with a metal counter top is highlighted with an iron bookshelf packed with vintage radio and mini TV sets from the 1930s to 60s, while a mixture of velvet chairs and Chesterfield-style sofas impart a subtle touch of elegance to the cool vintage-industrial vibe that dominates the scene. A selection of seductive cocktails is on offer, with a menu created by local celebrity bartender Federico Cuco. For the full experience, we suggest the Porteño Cooler with vodka, grapefruit, Fernet syrup and pop soda, accompanied with chef Gonzalo Villahoz’s braised veal with truffle mashed potatoes.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Humboldt 1654
Palermo Viejo

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Celeste Najt

With the gentrification of Buenos Aires' tourist-trodden Palermo Viejo in full swing, the onetime bohemian neighborhood welcomes another serious gastronomical addition. Sexto is a Mediterranean meets Porteño brasserie, located on the ground floor of the brand new Casa Sur Palermo hotel. The sixth outpost from lauded chef and restaurateur Tomás Waisman, his honest formula combines substantial portions made from the city’s best seasonal produce and served by well-trained old time waiters. The cosy interiors – by young architect Giselle Chalu – is a mix of modern and traditional, with white brick-walls and relaxed furnishings such as Chester leather couches, Thonet chairs and Lapacho and iron tables. The menu – an enticing all-day affair – caters not only to the neighborhood’s residents but also to the demands of international travellers alike, with a selection of seafood and beef grilled over coal, peppered with apple wood chips. We suggest tucking into the roasted shrimp with tabbouleh and grilled caramelized fennel, followed by braised pineapple and vanilla ice cream.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Costa Rica 6038
Palermo Viejo

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With boutique hotels continuing to launch at a steady rate in the Buenos Aires’ neighbourhood of Palermo Viejo, competition for distinction is key. The latest opening - the third outpost from Argentine group CasaSur Collection – is a 61-room property that includes a spa, gym, outdoor pool and a 235 sq metre rooftop bar, nestled on the hotel’s eighth floor. ‘The terrace is the star of the place...It’s totally unexpected and unique, with unforgettable views of the city,’ says the architect Gieselle Chalu, whose debut into the hotel industry brings a touch of New York, London and Berlin to Buenos Aires. Her signature interiors reveal cosy, yet elegant public spaces and clean, functionally designed rooms with geometric wallpaper, Acapulco chairs and Petiribi wood fixtures. Understated earthy hues set the tone for the entrance lobby with an eclectic mix of wood, cotton, glass and a bold five metre high bookshelf, which sits behind a marble reception.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Costa Rica 6032
Palermo Viejo

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Located among the medley of baroque churches, colonial houses, art museums and old glam cafés in Buenos Aires’ San Telmo district, Lemon Apartments is the latest offering from boutique hostel brand Puerto Limón. Interiors - by local architecture firm Grin - pay special emphasis to the property’s social spaces, in particular the bar and the lounge, which furnished with mid-century classics, is dressed in a smooth mix of velvet and linen fabrics, rustic wood and stone panelled walls, creating a light and cosy atmosphere. ‘I was inspired by this glorious and shabby barrio. As a counterpart, I wanted to create a casual, warm and elegant setting but with a homey feeling, bringing in very comfortable furniture,’ explains designer Adriana Grin. In each of the eight 36 sq m apartments – which either look out onto the swimming pool or the old-style street outside – there is a fully equipped kitchen-living room, bedroom and bathroom. Here, hand-woven wool rugs and pine headboards are further enhanced with Eero Saarinen tables and BKF leather chairs.

INFORMATION

ADDRESS

Chacabuco 1072
San Telmo

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Celeste Najt

When Argentine chef Sebastian Daniel Levy opened Miranda 11 years ago in Buenos Aires, he quickly cemented his reputation for serving tasty, extra large portions of beef at decent prices. Now, Levy has ventured into the culinary delights of Asia and Peru, with new restaurant and café Brandon, located in the city’s bustling Palermo Viejo neighbourhood. After a long hiatus in the food industry, local architecture firm PAC have returned to the dining scene with a lofty space, featurng smooth white marble counters, exposed brick walls, soft refurbished oak floorings, an open kitchen and a patio with a vertical garden. ‘As architects we are always confronted with limitations,’ says the firm.  ‘But within these limits, we favoured neutral, solid and long lasting materials.’ The menu skates a culinary journey through East Asia and Peruvian street food with signature dishes such as Panko and coconut langoustines with mayonnaise siracha, mini tacos stuffed with barbecue pulled pork, onion and cilantro and homemade pumpkin ravioli with a creamy mushroom sauce.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Fitz Roy 1722
Palermo Viejo

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Celeste Najt

Located on Plaza Dorrego, one of Buenos Aires’ most emblematic squares, Anselmo Hotel is a chic addition to the vibrant San Telmo neighbourhood. Designed by architect Alberto Smud with décor at the hands of designer Gabriela Faena, the clean aesthetic is adorned with pieces by contemporary artist Manuel Ameztoy throughout. Spread over three levels, each of the 50 guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the internal courtyard, while brushed concrete ceilings and walls, contrast with the parquet floors and preserved wooden balcony doors, in keeping with the colonial architecture of the area. On the ground floor, two restaurants flank the open-air courtyard: the white-themed bistro –which serves contemporary local fare and revamped classics - is decked out in ceramic tiles and Bertoia and Eames DSW side chairs and the Lounge takes over the evening service with a hand-crafted chef’s table for private dining. Munch on citrus infused flan with dulce de leche, before visiting the hotel gallery, which showcases the work of promising Argentine artists.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Anselmo Aieta 1069

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Estudio Galera was founded by Ariel Galera in 2008. Based just outside Buenos Aires, the small team describe their work as a 'constant search for shapes and the effect created by natural light on matter', characterized by playful, interlocking geometry that demonstrates their desire to experiment with structure and expression. Influenced by life and culture in general - 'trips, books, good music, a meeting with friends' - they also cite the Paulista school as well as South American geniuses such as Angelo Bucci, Mathias Klotz, Felipe Assadi, Sebastián Irarrázaval, Alejandro Aravena and Smiljan Radic, and big names including Ito, Moneo, Zumthor and Koolhaas. Galera firmly believes that 'the best project is always the next one.' His studio's most successful works, such as the Kaprys House in Cariló and the KVS House in Costa Esmeralda, embody its exposed structural approach. Upcoming projects, including the Álamos House, epitomize its careful devotion to complex but elegant forms.
www.estudiogalera.com

The latest addition to the vibrant neighbourhood of Palermo Viejo, in Argentina’s capital city, is a new restaurant-deli-market that serves up simple, seasonal fare from local chef Luciano Combi. Designed by Bueno Aires-based graphics and interiors specialist Horacio Gallo - mastermind of such upscale restaurants as Sudestata, Standard and Piso Tres - Fifi Almacén can be found in a vast 160sq m warehouse with seven-metre-high ceilings. Classic Thonet chairs and black linoleum-topped bistro tables are offset by a striking white-painted corrugated-zinc wall that makes up one side of the room. Shelves are fashioned from iron and untreated eucalyptus wood, and a collection of wooden fruit and vegetable crates are used to display the deli’s wares.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Gorriti 4812
Buenos Aires
Argentina

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