The city of Mendoza, Argentina, hosted the international event known as the "Feria de América," an industrial and continental exhibition that took place from January to April 1954. To provide a suitable setting for the exhibition, 30 hectares of land were allocated around the perimeter of Lake Parque General San Martín. Here, 93 pavilions and nearly 20 facilities were set up, including the Allegorical Tower, an open-air theater, and bars. The American countries represented with their own pavilions were Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Paraguay. There was also a large pavilion that housed various Latin American countries such as Colombia, Cuba, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, along with stands for Chilean and local Mendoza-based companies and provincial pavilions for Mendoza, San Juan, Misiones, La Rioja, Eva Perón (now La Pampa), Juan Domingo Perón (now Chaco), Córdoba, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Tucumán, and Buenos Aires. Additionally, there were stands and premises for various trade chambers (Quiroga, 2012). The fair embodied the government's aspiration to showcase a thriving, prosperous Argentina that was connected to regional countries and at the forefront of industrial development.
From the perspective of Design and Architecture, the fair embodied a clear intent to showcase the latest advancements in standardized construction, the use of steel and wood structures, and the provision of equipment and furniture. Naturally, a significant focus was on items of domestic production. The temporary nature of the fair's buildings provided an opportunity to experiment with different materials, as dictated by the construction regulations for the pavilions and stands (Raffa and Marchionni, 2011). These regulations were aimed at dry assembly and the structural design of lightweight elements, reducing construction times, facilitating and expediting the assembly of parts, streamlining the manufacturing process (resulting in cost savings by minimizing material waste), and the potential for reusing structures and components once the exhibition concluded.
The Pavilion 24 consisted of two abstract volumes connected by an organic circulation system, combining ramps and stairs. The first volume, elevated 3 meters above ground level and designed as a rectangular parallelepiped, was supported by a system of pairs of V-shaped columns entirely made of wood, interconnected with the floor beams and the roof. Beneath this structure, in the southern half, it created a space resembling a partially covered atrium, serving as a transition between the exterior and the interior.
In the northern half, it housed the exhibition hall of the National Directorate of Architecture (DNA). Through the geometric manipulation of circular arches, a double line of wooden partitions was used to define the outer and inner partitions, which were covered with tongue-and-groove slats. A large window to the east provided the sole visual connection to the meadow. With a purely exhibition-oriented character, this space showcased models and project drawings from the DNA.
Next, one entered the circulation volume, or 'rotunda,' which served as the compositional counterpoint to the taller block. The rotunda took on a cylindrical shape, with surfaces gently sloping outward, and a roof designed with radial beams supported by twelve steel pipes, creating a central oculus. The main volume, situated at an elevation of +3.25 meters, housed a spacious open-plan exhibition area where technical drawing desks, project models, and exhibition panels alternated on the walls. Exiting the pavilion was done from the southern end, symbolically connecting the starting and ending points of the journey via a two-section staircase, the first of which was covered by an extensive cantilevered marquee supported by two steel bars.
The building was designed by architects Luis María Bianchi, Chief of the Department of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works of the Nation (MOP), and Roberto Quiroz, a project designer from that government department [1].
The structural approach is one of the most intriguing characteristics of the pavilion, reflecting the avant-garde intent of the authors and the maturity with which they undertook the project, crystallizing part of their previous experience: rationality, the use of standardized commercial sections, resource efficiency, and simplicity in assembly and execution, as evidenced in the use of bolted or screwed connections. The material resolution prioritized simplicity and speed: hardboard panels were used for the surfaces, the ground floor had a Litosilo floor, and the upper floor was constructed using tongue-and-groove wooden boards. Upon direct inspection of the building, one can confirm meticulous craftsmanship and excellent material quality, another outstanding feature of the work, even though it was initially conceived as a temporary construction [2].
Now, let's briefly review the backgrounds of these individuals: Luis María Bianchi completed his university studies at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and received his degree in 1937. Furthermore, he was part of the planning teams for the regulatory plans of Chivilcoy, Tigre, Chascomús, and Luján in the province of Buenos Aires (Bianchi, 2022). He was a founding member of the Argentine Planning Association, the Argentine Center of Landscape Architects (CAAP), and a teacher of courses such as Urban Composition, Urbanism and Planning, and Planning at the Faculty of Architecture of UBA from 1951 to 1973. His ongoing professional development and commitment to his field made him an urban planner and, particularly, a highly sensitive landscape architect.
His association with the state architecture agency began during his fourth year of his career when he joined the MOP. He received a scholarship from the Organization of American States, which enabled him to undertake a study trip to the New Towns in England in 1955. In his public service role, he served as a member of the Commission for Works on Systematization and Urbanization of the North Bank, under the Secretariat of Public Works (1967). In addition to his work for the Ministry, he was a partner of Luis Vitores (who had accompanied him in the commission for the Olavarría Plan) and an active member of the Central Society of Architects. Between 1962 and 1968, he held the position of Director of the Higher Institute of Urbanism.
Roberto Quiroz was also a graduate of UBA (in June 1938). Alongside the architect Eduardo Naón Rowland, he designed private residences in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires, using exposed brick as the predominant material. While working at the DNA, he designed the headquarters of the Eva Perón Foundation, later the Faculty of Engineering (1950-1957). In addition to his work in public architecture, from 1945 to 1968, he was a partner in the Roberto Quiroz - Ismael Gil Chiappori studio. Together, they worked on the renovation of the Luna Park stadium in 1951 and the "17 de Octubre" neighborhood in Villa Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires. Quiroz designed the Argentine pavilion for the 1970 International Exposition in Osaka, Japan. In 1973, he took on the project for the Necochea Casino, during which he contemplated new avenues related to artistic experimentation, using large volumes in reinforced concrete while still emphasizing the benefits of standardization and design rationality. He also employed precast elements in concrete (Bianchi, 2022).
Pavilion 24 stands as the sole tangible remnant of the Feria de América (alongside the helical reinforced concrete staircase, constructed by the Society of Architects, Constructors, and Affiliates, in conjunction with the event). The fair was under the overall direction of Iván Bacsinszky, while César Jannello and Gerardo Clusellas led the Department of Architecture and Planning (Quiroga, 2012). All of them were associated with the modernist avant-garde movement in Argentina during the 1950s. Due to the scale and complexity of the projects it encompassed, the overall concept of the fair is considered unprecedented for its time.
In terms of the aesthetic values encapsulated in Pavilion 24, but which extended throughout the entire event, the Feria de América established itself as one of the key milestones of the Modern Movement in art, architecture, music, and design in Argentina. This movement unfolded as an integrated and coherent system, encompassing architecture for the installation of pavilions and stands, an original furniture design, a distinctive visual identity, and an artistic proposal featuring Concrete Music for the Allegorical Tower (Quiroga, 2012). Its character connected professionals of global significance who were linked to the avant-gardes of the time, such as Tomás Maldonado and Mauricio Kagel. In summary, we can affirm that it was a socially significant event, leaving a lasting mark in the collective memory of the hundreds of attendees it brought together in just a few months, as reflected in historical photographs.
Recently, various academic and scientific groups have sought to emphasize the significance of this event in general and its testimonies in particular. They have achieved this by rescuing graphic, photographic, and audiovisual material, conducting surveys, organizing talks in various academic and cultural settings, and promoting research articles and books.
We would like to express our gratitude to CeDIAP-AABE (Center for Documentation and Research of Public Architecture - State Property Administration Agency); Wustavo Quiroga (IDA Foundation, Buenos Aires); Mariana Mattar (MMAMM Municipal Museum of Modern Art of Mendoza); Cecilia Raffa (Institute of Human, Social, and Environmental Sciences - National Scientific and Technical Research Council); María Cristina Bianchi, and Cristina Corino.
About the author
Pablo F. Bianchi is an architect and holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Mendoza. He works as a professor in the Architecture program at the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Cuyo. He is a postdoctoral fellow in the "History and Heritage Conservation" group at the Institute of Human, Social, and Environmental Sciences (INCIHUSA), Scientific and Technological Center of Mendoza, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET).
Notes
[1] The dates indicated on the labels of various plans confirm that the building's design process extended from October to December of 1953. The labels also reveal the names of other technical agents from the department who were involved in the project: S. Caddia signed the structural plan for the rotunda, R. Soto was responsible for the overall and detailed architectural drawings, R. Bejar for the electrical installation, and A. Peretti for the drawings of lighting fixtures, which had been designed by the same architects. The general and detailed plans illustrate the comprehensive nature of the design process, which also addressed fixed equipment elements such as tables for model exhibitions, panels, and support partitions for billboards.
[2] Ferretti y Corino SRL was the local company responsible for supplying and installing the glazing for Pavilion 24. The company that carried out the assembly or construction of the project is currently unknown.
Bibliography
- Bianchi, P. F. (2022). Pavilion 24 of the Feria de América (1954): A Biographical Approach. ARQUITECTURAS DEL SUR, 40(61), 102–117.
- Quiroga, W. (2012). Feria de América: Invisible Vanguard. Fundación del Interior.
- Raffa, C. y Marchionni, F. (2011). The Ephemeral Heritage and the Representation of Labor: Exhibition Pavilions and Grape Harvest Stages in Mendoza (Argentina), 1950-1955. Proceedings of the 9th DOCOMOMO Brazil Seminar.
Sources
- Inaugural Ceremony of the Feria de América to Take Place Today (01/14/1954). Los Andes Newspaper.
- Curriculum Vitae of Luis María Bianchi (11/14/2015). IBERARCHIVOS-ADAI Program. CEDODAL. Retrieved.
- The events held on the lake island concluded with the inauguration (01/14/1954). La Libertad Newspaper.
