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What the penthouse of the iconic Palace of the Geese is like, where Ringo Bonavena and other famous people lived - Infobae
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Cómo es el penthouse del icónico Palacio de los Gansos, donde vivieron Ringo Bonavena y otros famosos
La construcción modernista data de 1947 y debe su nombre al lunfardo de la época. Cuánto vale la vivienda y cómo fusiona el lujo de antaño con remodelaciones modernas
www.infobae.com
February 10, 2024
The modernist construction dates back to 1947 and owes its name to the lunfardo of the time. How much is the home worth and how it merges the luxury of yesteryear with modern renovations
By José Luis Cieri
The penthouse has a 110 m2 terrace where several social gatherings were held (Photo Courtesy: Bresson Brokers)
The real estate market of the city of Buenos Aires presents a gem among its recent offers: the penthouse of the emblematic Palacio de los Gansos, located on the corner of Avenida Las Heras and Ugarteche. The name of this building, with roots in lunfardo, adds a distinctive touch to its history and location.
In the decades from the end of the 19th century to the end of the 1930s, several families belonging to the Argentine aristocracy formed an elite that, along with the country's progress, acquired considerable economic power. The global crisis unleashed after the Wall Street crash of 1929 marked the decline of this prosperity, leading many of those wealthy with distinguished surnames to adjust their expenses and find themselves in the need to sell their palaces or buildings (several are still part of the landscape urban porteño), initially erected with imported materials of extraordinary luxury.
In the Palermo Zoo neighborhood (so called now because of its proximity to the former Zoo) the iconic Palacio de los Gansos emerges as a testimony of the post-Great Depression era, as it has its roots in the practice of offering apartments for rent to receive “rich in misfortune” after the period of economic crisis.
Designed in a rationalist style by architects Luis Olezza and Ernesto Vautier, commissioned by businessman Alfredo Chopitea, this emblematic work was completed in 1947.
The Palace, an imposing construction that stands on the corner, maintains its distinctive presence amid more modern neighboring buildings. Designed in a rationalist style by architects Luis Olezza and Ernesto Vautier , commissioned by businessman Alfredo Chopitea , this set of luxurious homes with different sizes required 5 years of work. The work, whose first steps were taken in 1942, was completed in 1947, thus consolidating its place as an integral part of the city's architectural legacy. The building received its name in an ingenious game of lunfardo to establish a parallel with its neighbor, the Palacio de los Patos , another emblematic construction that does not go out of style and that was also Chopitea's initiative, but in 1929, before the crisis. By the way, Chopitea left marks in the area: on the corner of Las Heras and República de la India he ordered the construction of another iconic building whose distinctive feature was that all the external windows are different. On the walls of that building, in the same block as the Palacio de los Gansos, the first graffiti was painted, by the rock group Soda Stereo.
“Los Gansos” was a Buenos Aires expression that designated those who had lost great wealth. Initially conceived with different aspirations, the property saw its purpose transformed and became a refuge for members of the upper classes who had descended on the social scale after the crisis of the 1930s.
How is the building
The Palace of the Geese presents a structure composed of three interconnected blocks, designed exclusively for residential use. Highlights include an extensive garden that links the entire building and the choice of stone to cover the lower part of the façade. Although each block has its own independent entrance, the patio and covered galleries are intended for common use, providing a characteristic of community and shared space between residents.
The park and games for children complement the common space in the housing complex.
Architect Andrea Guerrieri , specialized in the recovery of historic buildings and, together with architect Ricardo Carbone, a member of the Intervention Strategies studio, told Infobae: “ First of all, it is essential to establish hierarchies on the scale of analysis when addressing the project solution conceived by the architects Olezza and Vautier. "His proposal arises from an urban insertion of a monumental nature, where the understanding of the need to respond from an urban approach emerged from a plot of land half a block in size."
“Although the architectural styles of the Duck Palace and the Geese Palace differ, with the first following an academic style and the second adopting rationalism, it is essential to understand that the integration between the two does not depend exclusively on the styles. Urban infill , or urban completion, refers to architectural typologies, volumetrics, axes, proportions, architectural rhythms, the concept of tripartition (basement-development-finishing) and materiality . In this case, several of these variables are presented in such a way that it can be stated that the urban infill is successful, providing typological continuity to the Palermo area,” Guerrieri clarified.
Corridors and access areas within the building that also connect with the central park and the entrance to the property.
From a functional perspective, the building responds to the category of collective housing, with 60 functional units integrated into its structure.
Guerrieri described the Palace of the Geese as an example of “rationalism” within the culture of the “modern movement” in Argentina. He highlighted the design operation beyond the typically rationalist, evident in the three volumes that articulate the building, imitating the typological solutions of the embrasures in medieval castles. “The incorporation of stone in the basement also stands out as a picturesque solution , common in Mar del Plata architecture,” said the architect.
Ringo Bonavena, the legendary boxer, along with his family, came to live in the Palace of the Geese.
The building housed various well-known personalities, including the dancer Paloma Herrera , the singer Vicentico (from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) and the prominent couturier and designer Benito Fernández . Likewise, it was attended by Oscar Ringo Bonavena , the charismatic Argentine boxer who lived with his family there in the 1960s.
What is the penthouse like?
The property is also a duplex because it is distributed on two levels, it has a total of 330 square meters and a terrace with very good views of the city and the river of 110 m2. It is valued at USD 998,000 and the building pays $340,000 in expenses per month.
The living room of the penthouse for sale. The house is currently unoccupied.
Laura Gonzalo, from Bresson Brokers, highlighted: “Whoever has the possibility of purchasing it will enjoy living between the 11th and 12th floors of the building. It is a privilege to inhabit this space, given the impeccable maintenance it maintains. Its distinguished category and excellent location in the palace, added to its position on an elevated floor, make it one of the most coveted.”
It is also duplex because it is distributed on two levels.
It has 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, three bathrooms, 1 toilet and a garage.
“Upon entering the penthouse through a semi-private shield, you access the 11th floor, where the main living room, a work space, a large kitchen and a bathroom are located. The 12th floor houses the three bedrooms, including a Master Suite, and two additional bedrooms that share a bathroom, along with two outbuildings,” said Silvina Calvo Lamas , Real Estate expert.
The kitchen was renovated and has a peninsula with extractor.
The layout of the space draws attention to the presence of two staircases that connect the 11th and 12th floors: one destined for the social part, visible from the living room and starting in it, and another that connects from the kitchen for the service.
The terrace has an oven and grill.
Currently uninhabited, the apartment underwent a renovation or update approximately 30 years ago. Although quality materials were used and the original style of the apartment was largely respected, modern elements were introduced to adapt to the evolution of time.
These apartments feature Slavonian oak floors, extraordinarily wide walls and original sash windows, which still exist in some units. The details include English earthenware toilets. Those more contemporary units, recently renovated, feature spacious and modern kitchens with generous silestone or marble countertops, along with top-quality custom cabinetry.
Bathroom with renovated shower.
In addition, they have paneled appliances and bathrooms/toilettes covered with imported marble and porcelain tiles.
“The apartments of this iconic construction are characterized by their high ceilings, which extend from floor to ceiling. Some of them offer privileged views of the large internal garden, a particularly innovative detail for the time of their construction,” Gonzalo concluded.
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