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The history of the Barrio Parque building that had a car track on the terrace - La Nacion Propiedades
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April 8, 2024
Almost 100 years ago, a building in the heart of the city of Buenos Aires had a track on its roof to test cars and today it is a luxury residential complex.
By Candela Contreras
The track on the roof of the former Chrysler Building was used to test the brand's cars, today it is a luxury residential complex
In Palermo Chico , a sub-neighborhood of the immense Palermo , an iconic complex of the city stands out, with high-class homes and commercial spaces, which occupies an entire block of Barrio Parque: the Alcorta Palace . Located between Figueroa Alcorta, Ortiz de Ocampo, Martín Coronado and San Martín de Tours streets, the building opened its doors on December 1, 1928 by the Milanese architect Mario Palanti - author of the Barolo Palace and the Salvo Palace -, with a peculiarity: it had its own car track on the terrace .
The construction was initially planned for the Resta Hermanos car dealership , which sold Chrysler brand vehicles , which is why it was known as the “Chrysler Building” and became the symbol of the American brand in Argentina. From its beginnings, the circular track on the roof of the construction called Olympus Stadium functioned as an open-air car test, and was promoted as the first Palacio Autódromo.
The former Chrysler building that is now the Alcorta Palace in Barrio Parque
After years in which the building went through different areas and various facets, it was purchased by the company IRSA, which remodeled and fragmented it to turn it into an apartment and office building. Since 1994, completely renovated, it functions as a luxury residential complex “It is a construction with its own brand and identity, with a very particular glamor and prestige,” specifies Daniel Obetko, premium residential manager at Interwin .
The end of the car track
The original construction not only housed the vehicle track, but offices , a manufacturing site for brand spare parts and the sales sector were installed on the ground floor ; while on the first floor there was a workshop and garages .The original design of the terrace also had stands for 3,000 spectators , who could not only watch the car tests at high speed, but also hosted social and sporting events.
But, despite the fact that the place was a complete success, in 1931 the dealership went bankrupt and was bought by the company Fevre y Basset. From that year on, the track fell into disuse and lost its essence since no races or tests were organized on it again.
Avenida Centenario (today Figueroa Alcorta) around 1930, with the first houses of Barrio Parque and the Chrysler Building; The track on top of the building was for testing the cars, it measured 1,700 meters and had seats for 3,000 people.
Some time later the facilities of the place were used as headquarters by the Arsenal Command of the Argentine Army and the National Registry of Weapons , until in 1993 it was auctioned by Banco Ciudad, which promoted it as “ the most expensive block in the city.” ”.
Among the firms that wanted to buy the building, there was the possibility of it being transformed into a shopping center, but, due to the refusal of the neighbors , in 1994 it was transformed by IRSA into a luxury loft complex run by the MSGSSS architecture studio. The space was divided into homes and offices , while the place where the track was originally located was torn down and an internal garden with a pool was built . The plant was bought by Manuel Antelo, then owner of Renault Argentina, who installed the Renault Museum along with a gastronomic proposal that became a fashionable space in the 90s. It closed its doors at the beginning of 2011. Today the space operates under the polo clothing brand La Dolfina with a commercial premises with a bar and restaurant, in addition to the exhibition of its trophies and t-shirts.
Currently the building has an internal garden with a swimming pool.
How much does an apartment cost in Palacio Alcorta
In the middle of a traditional area characterized by its emblematic houses and iconic residences , with its high ceilings and a spatiality difficult to find in other developments, stands the Alcorta Palace, “ like a bubble within Palermo Chico , with lofts that give it a character.” special and modern to the iconic building”, Mateo García, residential commercial director at Toribio Achaval, makes the difference .“People who want to live or work in the place wait as long as necessary to be able to buy or rent a property there. There is no other comparable property in the area ,” says Gabriela Goldszer, director of Ocampo Propiedades . For this reason, the homes and offices found in the area are highly in demand for both purchase and rental and there is usually a waiting list .
According to the real estate broker, in the building there are units ranging from 90 m² to 300 m², with an average value of between US$4000/m² and US$5000/m² , higher than the average price of used apartments in the area. , which are between US$3,500/m² and US$4,000/m². “People who choose to live in this project value the spacious spaces, double height, light and modernity,” she says.
According to publications on real estate sites, there are currently three lofts for sale in the Alcorta Palace :
- A one-bedroom unit with a balcony with exterior views of 129 m² total, sells for US$560,000
- An apartment of 183 m² total with two bedrooms, full bathroom en suite, dressing room and terraced balcony that overlooks the lung of the building with views of the pool, is published at US$900,000
- A 130 m² loft, one bedroom and balcony overlooking the pool, is sold for US$610,000
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