Puerto Madero’s Filthy Containers are Recovered to Make-up Buenos Aires Posh Area

Since Buenos Aires’s Puerto Madero was built for the first time by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536 and named it Puerto de Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre,, the port and its area have been remodeled, reconstructed and re-inaugurated more than five times.

The last reconstruction started in 1992, after the Ministry of Public Services and Public Affairs, The Minitry of Interior and The Government of Buenos Aires agreed to stimulate this port’s area urban development November 15, 1989.

To select the model that they would use for the remodeling process, they called for a “National Contest of Ideas for Puerto Madero,” where they established they wanted to: transform the area, reorganize its urban character, promote the installation of commercial outlets and offices, and re-conquer the riverside.

February 1992, the jury chose the three best proposals (out of 96 presented) and selected three people of each group to work jointly in Puerto Madero’s uplifting project. According to Puertomadero.com, this group was made up by: Juan Manuel Borthagaray, Cristian Carnicer, Pablo Doval, Enrique García Espil, Mariana Leidemann, Carlos Marre, Rómulo Pérez, Antonio Tufaro and Eugenio Xaus.

These people were able to transform a place that held huge rusty containers, dirty and neglected buildings infected with rodents and cockroaches, into a beautiful river walk with prestigious bars, restaurants, ice-cream shops and cafes; a very romantic place where you can retreat to take a peaceful walk under the moonlight with your honey.

Timeline

Constructions and Port’s Reconstructions
1536- Pedro de Mendoza
1580- Juan de Garay
1855- Construction of New Customs Building that reactivated the Port’s movement, done by the English engineer Eduardo Taylor
1887-1897- Ing. Eduardo Madero
1911-1925- New Port
1992- Last reconstruction

Presented Projects
Between 1580 and 1887 many projects where presented. However, they were not completed due to Spain’s resistance.
1755- Juan de Echeverría
1761- Francisco de Vianes
1777- Ing. Francisco Rodrígues y Cardoso
1795-1802- Pedro Antonio Cerviño (partially constructed)
1805- Ing. Eustaquio Gianni
1810-1811- Mariano Moreno and its first committee
1823- Ing. Santiago Bevans
1825- Guillermo Micklejon
1853- Ing. Carlos Pellegrini and Manuel Tudury
1859- Ing. Coghlan
1871- Ing. Juan Bateman
1872- Ing. J. Revy
1975- Ing. Guillermo Rigoni

How to get there:
Buses:
Lines: 2, 4, 6 , 20 , 22 , 26 , 33 , 54 , 56 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 74 , 93 , 99 , 105 , 109 , 111 , 126 , 129 , 130 , 140 , 143 , 146 , 152 , 159

Subways:
Line B: Station: L.N. Alem
Line A: Station: Pza. de Mayo

Extroverted Family Transforms me into a City Tour Guide Around Buenos Aires

This week, my dad traveled from Malaysia to Argentina so he could be present at my cousin’s wedding. During the flight, he met an Australian tourist that was going to spend just one night in Buenos Aires, on his way to La Paz, Bolivia. During his short stay in Argentina’s capital, he wanted to tour around Buenos Aires, and my dad suggested I would be an excellent tour guide.

After the long, 23 hour trip, when dad arrived home he hugged me and told me: “Lau, get changed, I got you a job for tonight. I need you to organize a tango tour for an Australian friend I met on the plane.”

Although a little surprised by the unexpected comment, I was excited: “It is a great opportunity to tour around my city and teach someone else about its history.” On top of that, I was going to get paid for doing something I enjoyed. It was a round deal for me!

That night I took him to a tango show at El Querandí, a restaurant where service and food are excellent for a lower price than its competitors. Even though the show is not as spectacular and flashy as in other restaurants I attended, the dancers show how the dance has evolved over time, which is very important from a historical point of view.

My guest enjoyed the show and my stories so much that he decided to hire me to give him a morning city tour. So the next day I took him to Plaza Francia, Cementerio de Recoleta, Florales Genérica, Puerto Madero and Caminito. All of Buenos Aires' most typical places; an intense and great way to get a fast glimpse of this beautiful Argentinean city.