Designed by Clorinda Testa; completed 1966
The Bank of London and South America, located on a congested corner of Bartolomé
Mitre in Buenos Aires, is one of the most significant buildings in Argentina and a
landmark achievement in concrete construction. Designed by Clorindo Testa in
association with SEPRA architects, the introverted building presents a robust concrete
facade that belies a seductive and subdued labyrinthine interior. Set within a context of
formal neoclassical architecture from the 19th century, the cleverly orchestrated design
mediates between the busy and crowded Argentinian streets and the methodical operation
of the bank headquarters. It compliments the urban fabric in a manner that is both
charismatic and controlled.
The building was constructed at a time of tremendous economic turbulence in
Argentina, resulting from political changes internally and the rampant tension across
Latin America that had culminated in the Cuban revolution of 1959. The election of
Arturo Frondizi as president of Argentina in 1958 had introduced sweeping reforms to
the economic, political, and cultural policy of the country, designed to dispel discontent
and to reform the inward-looking Argentine economy. Frondizi instigated an urgent
program of westernization, targeting rapid development through increased levels of
foreign investment and the growth of local industry. The new headquarters for the Bank
of London and South America was the first by-product of this new economic policy. The
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building was to represent a rekindling of ties between Britain and Argentina that had
gradually been eroded since the beginning of World War II. As a mark of sincerity
toward this objective, the foundation stone for the building was laid by Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh, in March 1962.
The building already on the site, the former headquarters of the bank (designed in
1867 by the architects Hunt and Schroeder), was demolished in May 1961. The first stage
of construction was begun in December 1962, and the inauguration of the building took
place in August 1966. The design of the building was the outcome of an invited
competition undertaken by four Argentinian practices between January and May 1960.
The commission was awarded to the well-established local firm SEPRA (Santiago
Sanchez Elia, Fredrico Peralta Ramos, and Alfredo Agostini), who had collaborated with
the local artist and architect Clorindo Testa in their design proposal. Testa, who was more
than a decade younger than the other three members of the design team, had previously
worked with SEPRA on numerous urban projects for the city and became instrumental in
the design and realization of the finished building.
Occupying the corner of a busy intersection in the historical business district of
Buenos Aires, the building responds to the demanding neoclassical context by filling the
rectangular site with a chiseled, extruded block measuring 45 by 75 meters in plan. The
massive structure is hewn from concrete, which, unlike steel, could be produced locally
and required a less-skilled workforce. The two public facades of the building are
protected by monolithic, layered concrete screens that curve outward at the top, providing
a more generous pedestrian area at the base. The fluid concrete walls are punctuated by
seductive rounded openings to allow light to enter. This acts as a curtain providing a
mediation between the narrow street and the cavernous interior of the bank. Behind the
dramatic concrete curtains, which carry the structural load of the massive roof, is another
layer of glazing, which provides a climatic and acoustic barrier from the street. The two
imposing skirts fold back at the corner to reveal the glazed curtain wall that marks the
entrance to the building. A large, unadorned concrete blade wall folds over at the roof
level in the manner of a giant eyelid, enclosing the outdoor foyer space and revealing the
underside of the vaulted canopy, providing a shaded undercarriage as a refuge from the
busy and confined street space beyond. The gesture at the corner addresses not only the
entry but also the opposing buildings of the intersection, disappearing seamlessly into the
urban context.
The building houses 1,500 employees of the bank and provides office space in excess
of 10,000 meters squared. The complex yet sculptural interior layout, dominated by
floating mezzanines and the powerful mass of the circulation cores, distributes the office
space over six levels. Services and car parking are contained in three subterranean floors.
The palette of materials consists of richly formatted reinforced concrete throughout, light
timber trimmings, and a deep red painted finish.
The interior of the building is open and uncluttered by structural supports. The floating
floor slabs are supported by the concrete core of the lift shafts, the separate banks of
stairs, and the sculpted columns that support the exterior walls, tapering at both the base
and apex. This adds a legibility to the structural system and also frees the plan of
intermediate supports, allowing for a fluid and unobstructed spatiality inside the building.
The fluid concrete beams on the underside of the floating intermediate levels taper back
to elegantly house lighting and airconditioning ducts.
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The monumental simplicity of the building has played an important role in the context
of architectural history not only in Argentina but across the world. The sculptural
building can be seen as influential to avant-garde movements such as Archigram,
Metabolism, and the Brutalism of Paul Rudolph and, more recently in the curvilinear
geometries of Neil Denari. In the last decade, the building, like Clorindo Testa himself,
has been the subject of international critical reappraisal, elevating the profile of the
building and its architect.
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