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Paris of the South

Buenos Aires architecture

Buenos Aires is famous for its grand European-style architecture and the world's widest avenue, the Avenida 9 de Julio. It is the birthplace of the Tango, a passionate dance that can still be found being performed in the historic cobblestone streets of the San Telmo neighborhood.

  • 6Landmarks
  • 1898Oldest · Casa Rosada
  • 120 mTallest · Kavanagh Building
  • 7Architects

Before you go

  • Fly intoMinistro Pistarini (EZE)

    Commonly known as 'Ezeiza,' this airport is the primary hub for international travel to Argentina and features unique amenities like 'Tango Lounges' for travelers. It has recently seen major infrastructure upgrades, including a new 'Zeppelin' terminal building that is a marvel of modern steel and glass architecture.

  • CurrencyArgentine Peso ($)
  • LanguageSpanish

    The city is known for its unique Rioplatense Spanish, which features an Italian-like intonation and the use of 'vos' instead of 'tu.' It is a melodic and expressive version of the language that reflects the city's European heritage.

  • Getting aroundThe Subte

    The Buenos Aires Subte is the oldest underground railway in Latin America, with its first line opening in 1913. The city's massive bus network, known as 'Colectivos,' operates 24 hours a day with hundreds of different lines. The EcoBici system offers a popular and free bicycle-sharing alternative for navigating the city's parks and flat streets.

6 landmarks in Buenos Aires

  1. Palacio Barolo
    Photo: Eugenio Hansen, OFS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Palacio Barolo

    Av. de Mayo 1370, C1085 CABA, Argentina

    This landmark office building is a unique architectural tribute to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. The structure is vertically divided into three distinct sections representing Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Its design features a unique mix of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romantic styles with a heavy Indian influence on the upper domes. At the very top, a powerful lighthouse was installed to signal across the Río de la Plata to its sister building in Montevideo. Today, it remains one of the most mysterious and photographed monuments along the historic Avenida de Mayo.

    Built
    1923
    Architect
    Mario Palanti
    Style
    Eclectic / Art Nouveau
    Height
    100 m (328 ft)
    Stories
    22
    Today
    Office / Landmark
  2. Teatro Colón
    Photo: EEJCC, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Teatro Colón

    Cerrito 628, C1010 CABA, Argentina

    The Teatro Colón is globally recognized as one of the top five opera houses for its near-perfect acoustics. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium was designed to distribute sound flawlessly to every one of its nearly three thousand seats. Its interior is a showcase of European luxury, featuring Italian Carrara marble, French stained glass, and velvet upholstery. A massive central chandelier hangs from a ceiling decorated with frescoes by the renowned artist Raúl Soldi. The building occupies an entire city block and stands as a testament to Argentina's Golden Age of prosperity.

    Built
    1908
    Architect
    Francesco Tamburini
    Style
    Eclectic / Neoclassical
    Height
    28 m (92 ft)
    Stories
    7
    Today
    Opera House
  3. Kavanagh Building
    Photo: Jrivell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Kavanagh Building

    Florida 1065, C1005 CABA, Argentina

    This towering Art Deco skyscraper was the tallest reinforced concrete structure in the world at the time of its completion. Its stepped, staggered profile was designed to provide sunlight and air to all 105 of its luxury apartments. Legend suggests Corina Kavanagh commissioned the tower specifically to block the view of a church from a rival family's mansion. The building is a masterpiece of rationalist architecture, stripped of heavy ornamentation in favor of clean, vertical lines. It was declared a World Heritage Site of Modern Architecture by UNESCO for its innovative 1930s engineering.

    Built
    1936
    Architect
    Sánchez, Lagos, and de la Paura
    Style
    Art Deco / Rationalism
    Height
    120 m (394 ft)
    Stories
    31
    Today
    Residential
  4. Casa Rosada
    Photo: Lars Curfs (Grashoofd), CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, via Wikimedia Commons

    Casa Rosada

    Balcarce 50, C1064 CABA, Argentina

    The Casa Rosada serves as the executive mansion and the primary office of the President of Argentina. Its distinctive baby-pink hue is famously rumored to be a mix of white paint and bovine blood used for weatherproofing in the 19th century. The building features the iconic central balcony where historical figures like Eva Perón famously addressed the crowds. Its eclectic architecture is the result of merging an old post office with the original fortress that stood on the site. Visitors can explore the museum in the basement, which showcases the remains of the colonial customs house.

    Built
    1898
    Architect
    Carl Kihlberg / Francisco Tamburini
    Style
    Italianate / Eclectic
    Height
    25 m (82 ft)
    Stories
    4
    Today
    Presidential Palace / Museum
  5. Puente de la Mujer
    Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Puente de la Mujer

    Pierina Dealessi, C1107 CABA, Argentina

    This sleek rotating footbridge is a modern symbol of the revitalized Puerto Madero docklands. The architect designed the structure to abstractly represent a couple performing the traditional Argentine Tango. Its single mast represents the man, while the graceful curved cable-stayed section represents the woman leaning back in a dance embrace. When large ships need to pass through the canal, the central section of the bridge rotates ninety degrees on a hydraulic pedestal. It has become one of the most recognizable examples of contemporary neo-futurist architecture in South America.

    Built
    2001
    Architect
    Santiago Calatrava
    Style
    Neo-Futurism
    Height
    39 m (128 ft)
    Stories
    1
    Today
    Pedestrian Bridge / Landmark
  6. El Ateneo Grand Splendid
    Photo: Roberto Fiadone, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    El Ateneo Grand Splendid

    Av. Santa Fe 1860, C1123 CABA, Argentina

    This breathtaking bookstore is housed inside a converted theater that once served as a palace for the performing arts. Most of the original architectural details, including the ornate gold carvings and crimson stage curtains, have been meticulously preserved. The massive ceiling features a sprawling fresco painted in 1919 to celebrate the end of World War I. Customers can browse books where theater-goers once sat, or enjoy coffee on the former stage which now functions as a café. It is frequently cited by international publications as one of the most beautiful bookshops in existence.

    Built
    1919
    Architect
    Peró and Torres Armengol
    Style
    Eclectic / Beaux-Arts
    Height
    20 m (66 ft)
    Stories
    4
    Today
    Bookstore / Cultural Landmark

More cities in South America

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