Kavanagh building

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Edificio Kavanagh
Height Floors Surface	120 meters 29 28,000 m2, on 2400 m2
Location Address	Retiro, Buenos Aires Florida 1065
Use	Residential
Style	Rationalist
Architects	Sánchez, Lagos, De la Torre
State Finished	Built 1936

The Edificio Kavanagh (The Kavanagh Building) is located at 1065th Florida St in the barrio of Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, in front of "Plaza San Martín" square. It was constructed in the 1930's in the Rationalist style, by the architects Gregorio Sánchez, Ernesto Lagos and Luis María de la Torre, finished in 1936. Today it is a national historical monument ^[1] and one of the most impressive architectural masterpieces of Buenos Aires that still maintains its impact against the modern skyline of the city with its 120 metre height. In 1939 its facade was awarded by the American Institute of Architects.

Kavanagh building though San Martín Square's jacarandás

It was commissioned in 1934 by Corina Kavanagh who invested all she had inherited to build her own skyscraper. There is a story that says that the shape of the building was a revenge; one of the daughters of Corina Kavanagh (who was from a wealthy but not an aristocrat family) fell in love with the son of another wealthy family, the Anchorena (who were aristocrats), but the latter family disapproved of the engagement. As the Anchorena, who lived in a palace across San Martin Square, had built a church next to the future building, Corina Kavanagh decided to build a skyscraper that would block the view of the church from the palace.

The Kavanagh building has a towering form, with symmetrical setbacks and gradual surface reductions. The building was created from the outside in, adapting outstanding comfortable facilities to the space they had. The structure was carefully designed to be as slender as possible to avoid unnecessary weight and was also a result of city zoning restrictions. The design is an hybrid of Modernism and Art Deco American skyscraper with a rationalistic approach. It is considered the apex of early Modernism in Argentina. It was at the time the highest reinforced concrete structure in the world, and the tallest building in South America for many years. Aimed at upper middle class individuals, no initial cost regulations were set up in order to assure a high quality of result, with all 105 apartments containing the latest in technological advances, including central air conditioning, 12 Otis elevators, and state-of-art plumbing. Apartments on the upper floors have exquisite terrace gardens with views of the river, parks and the city.