Sofitel Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Sofitel Buenos Aires is a five star hotel in the Retiro
section of Buenos Aires
.
, a 20-story office complex was built which would allow him to look out towards the Río de la Plata
, where his steam ships could be seen plying the waters between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento
, Uruguay
. Inspired in part by the Tomb of Mausolus
of Caria
, the eclecticist building was designed by the local architectural studio of Calvo, Jacobs and Giménez, and was opened in 1929 (shortly after Mihanovich's death).
The tallest building in Argentina and Latin America at the time, the 80-meter (263-foot) tower remained a city landmark even after its height was superseded by the nearby Kavanagh building
in 1936. The first in Argentina to include in-wall wind braces
, much of the uppermost roofing and façade and made from ship hull portions. It was later sold to its builders, the Bencich family, and became a residential complex. The tower gradually declined with the proliferation of upscale, balconied highrises in subsequent decades, however. Nearly abandoned, it was acquired in the year 2000 by Paris
-based hospitality giant Accor
for the purpose of developing Argentina's first Sofitel
Hotel.
Designed by the local Daniel Fernández & Associates studio and decorated by Pierre-Yves Rochon, its refurbishment was accompanied by the construction of a 10 m (33 ft) basement for a pool, gym and parking garage. A T-shaped alley resulting from the two adjacent 5-story wings was covered by a glass roof and converted into a black-and-white marble
-tiled lobby (notable also for a 0.6-ton, 4-meter {13-ft} bronze spiderweb chandelier
). Opened in January 2003, the hotel maintains 144 rooms, business facilities, a literary café and Le Sud, a Provençal
restaurant.
Retiro, Buenos Aires
Retiro is a barrio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located in the northeast end of the city, Retiro is bordered on the south by the Puerto Madero and San Nicolás wards, and on the west by the Recoleta ward.-Urban character:...
section of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Overview
Commissioned by local shipping magnate Nicolás MihanovichNicolás Mihanovich
Nicolás Mihanovich was a Croatian Argentine businessman closely linked to the development of the Argentine merchant marine.-The Beginnings:Nicolás Mihanovich was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in what is today Croatia, in 1844...
, a 20-story office complex was built which would allow him to look out towards the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
, where his steam ships could be seen plying the waters between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Inspired in part by the Tomb of Mausolus
Mausolus
Mausolus was ruler of Caria . He took part in the revolt against Artaxerxes Mnemon , conquered a great part of Lycia, Ionia and several Greek islands and cooperated with the Rhodians in the Social War against Athens...
of Caria
Caria
Caria was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined the Carian population in forming Greek-dominated states there...
, the eclecticist building was designed by the local architectural studio of Calvo, Jacobs and Giménez, and was opened in 1929 (shortly after Mihanovich's death).
The tallest building in Argentina and Latin America at the time, the 80-meter (263-foot) tower remained a city landmark even after its height was superseded by the nearby Kavanagh building
Kavanagh building
The Kavanagh Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in Buenos Aires, located at 1065 Florida St. in the barrio of Retiro, overlooking Plaza San Martín. It was designed in 1934 by local architects Gregorio Sánchez, Ernesto Lagos and Luis María de la Torre, and was inaugurated in 1936...
in 1936. The first in Argentina to include in-wall wind braces
Wind braces
Wind braces, in architecture, are diagonal braces to tie the rafters of a roof together and prevent racking. In the better sort of medieval roofs they are arched, and run from the principal rafters to catch the purlins....
, much of the uppermost roofing and façade and made from ship hull portions. It was later sold to its builders, the Bencich family, and became a residential complex. The tower gradually declined with the proliferation of upscale, balconied highrises in subsequent decades, however. Nearly abandoned, it was acquired in the year 2000 by Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based hospitality giant Accor
Accor
Accor is Europe's leading hotel group , part of the CAC 40 index , and operates in over 90 countries. Headquartered in Courcouronnes, Essonne, France, near Évry, France, the group owns, operates and franchises 4,229 hotels ranging from economy to luxury on five continents .Previously, the group...
for the purpose of developing Argentina's first Sofitel
Sofitel
Sofitel is a luxury hotel chain managed by Accor, which opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964. Its first overseas opening in Minneapolis, USA was in 1974. In 1995 Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12500 people....
Hotel.
Designed by the local Daniel Fernández & Associates studio and decorated by Pierre-Yves Rochon, its refurbishment was accompanied by the construction of a 10 m (33 ft) basement for a pool, gym and parking garage. A T-shaped alley resulting from the two adjacent 5-story wings was covered by a glass roof and converted into a black-and-white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
-tiled lobby (notable also for a 0.6-ton, 4-meter {13-ft} bronze spiderweb chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
). Opened in January 2003, the hotel maintains 144 rooms, business facilities, a literary café and Le Sud, a Provençal
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
restaurant.