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Buenos Aires

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Kavanagh Building

The Kavanagh building was opened in 1936 and was, for a long time, the tallest concrete building in South America. Its construction took only 14 months and was the first housing building in Buenos Aires that had centralized air conditioning.

The Kavanagh is 120 meters high, with 33 floors and 105 luxury apartments. Each of these has the distinction of being all different and has a private shield. The building has 5 independent entrances, 12 elevators, a pool, washing and ironing workshops, cold room for the skins and carpets, central telephone system and security deposits, we think that all these amenities were very novel by the time it was opened. In addition, until today the building does not have garages or electric intercom, that is, people must announce to the staff in order to be received.

In 1999 the building was declared a World Heritage of Modern Architecture, for this reason, its inhabitants do not have to pay municipal taxes, however, they must commit to keep the building in good condition and to keep the apartments as they were originally.

In 1948 the 14th floor that belonged to Corina Kavanagh was sold, this is the only apartment that occupies the entire floor, therefore, it has 360 view to the city of Buenos Aires.

This building, for its technical characteristics, shared an award with the Eiffel Tower, with the Assuan Dam and with the Panama Canal.

Buenos Aires


Tips

It is very famous the love story or lack of love that gave rise to this sumptuous building. Corina Kavanagh belonged to a wealthy but not patriotic family (what was called contemptuously "new rich"), and it is certainly not known whether she or one of her daughters had a love story with the son of Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena, who did they came from a patriotic family and belonged to high society. When Mercedes finds out about the love relationship between her son and one of the Kavanagh, she opposes her status differences sharply and manages to separate them.

The Anchorena family lived in the homonymous palace where today it is the ceremonial seat of the Chancellery (Arenales 761). From the residence, one could see the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament that had been built to serve as the family tomb of the Anchorena.

In front of the Basilica, before arriving at the square, there was an empty lot, which was to be acquired by Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena to build his new mansion, but he delayed too much and Corina Kavanagh, in revenge, buys the lot and orders make your building with a single objective: to cover the view of the palace towards the Basilica.


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Florida 1065