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It opened its doors in 1929, covers 22,000 square meters and retains a curious name, which still represents a great unknown.
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A few meters from the famous Carlos Thays Botanical Garden, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, there is a huge building with 144 apartments that is known as the Palacio de los Patos.
The property, which opened its doors in 1929, is identified as a group of luxurious homes, full of gardens and internal patios, where sunlight easily enters.
And, although it has experienced different stages, the Palacio de los Patos is still a luxurious building, full of legends and hypotheses that have not yet been resolved.
What is the history of the Palacio de los Patos?
Old photo of the Palacio de los Patos.
The construction of the Palacio de los Patos began in 1927, at the initiative of Alfredo Miguel Chopitea. That is, he was in charge of hiring the famous French architect Henri Azière.
But Azière never set foot in Argentina. It happens that his plans traveled from Europe and, years later, were modified by the Argentine architect Julio Senillosa.
Anyway. The enormous construction offered 144 apartments with between 2 and 7 rooms, which were acquired by wealthy families, possibly affected by the economic crisis of the time.
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Why does this building have such a curious name?
94 years after its opening, there is still no official hypothesis to determine why this property is called "Palacio de los Patos".
On the one hand, and as we have already mentioned, it is believed that the name maintains a link with the economic situation of the first owners who had a good life but, at that time, suffered the consequences of the international crisis of 1929.
So, in this context, the new residents of the building were nicknamed "ducks", in relation to the fact that these animals have dry plumage and that, in turn, "dry" is a term from lunfardo, used to refer to lack of money.
However, this is not the only hypothesis. That is to say, over the years, it was also mentioned that the Palacio de los Patos would be called this way because:
It has a link with the Palacio de los Patos in Granada, Spain.
At the time of its construction, the building was near a river with ducks.
However, historians maintain that the construction of Palermo is not related to that of Spain nor was it built near a river.
What are the most striking features of the Palacio de los Patos?
Internal patio of the Palacio de los Patos.
In addition to the history linked to its construction and the eternal debates about the origin of its name, the Palacio de los Patos is preserved in perfect condition and still has many characteristics worth analyzing.
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That is why, when investigating the details of this building, you must always keep in mind that:
It occupies half the block, on a 22,000 square meter piece of land.
It is divided into six floors of six bodies.
It has nine internal patios and gardens.
It is a "Living Testimony of Citizen Memory", after mentioning the Museum of the City of Buenos Aires.
It is a "Representative Building of the city, as an example of academic style".
It has, among its greatest emblems, a four-dial clock and an old mailbox.
It is located a few meters from the Palacio de los Gansos: a building from 1942, which was also designed by Alfredo Chopitea. |
