Around 1949, the city of Buenos Aires led the construction of the Sixth Pantheon in the Chacarita neighborhood. Monumental in character and brutalist in style, this underground necropolis turned out to be the first and largest experiment in modern architecture in the funerary field. Designed by Ítala Fulvia Villa, one of the first Argentine women architects and urban planners, and a pioneer of South American modernism, along with her team comprised of Leila Cornell, Raquel S. de Días, Gunter Ernest, Carlos A. Gabutti, Ludovico Koppman, and Clorindo Testa, this work was discovered by Léa Namer, who conducted an in-depth investigation reflecting on the legacy of a modern utopia and a feminist rereading of history.
“Chacarita Moderna: The Brutalist Necropolis of Buenos Aires” presents the research undertaken by Léa Namer along with a broader reflection on the relationship of contemporary societies with death and cemeteries. Emphasizing the connection with the history of Ítala Fulvia Villa and getting to know some of the caretakers of the Sixth Pantheon, the book highlights the context, project, and design of a place of collective rest as a delicate art for architecture professionals. In this instance, the brutalist style and the plasticity of concrete were able to provide a new funerary aesthetic along with the monumentality necessary for a site of these characteristics.
We passed through the main entrance and the incessant hustle and bustle of the city finally calmed down. The impressive extension of the cemetery was revealed with each step: Chacarita was a city within a city of 95 hectares, with streets and avenues where even cars could circulate. – Léa Namer
Ítala Fulvia Villa began studying architecture around 1930 at the University of Buenos Aires. Understanding architectural practice as a collective effort, this approach became an important part of her work, allowing her to build the project that eluded her male colleagues: the modern city. As the sixth woman to graduate from the Faculty of Architecture in 1935, by 1950 she was already working at the General Directorate of Architecture and Urbanism, and she had been awarded the design and direction of two new pantheons, the Grand Pantheon of the Flores cemetery and the Sixth Pantheon in Chacarita.
My fascination with your Sixth Pantheon was mainly due to its underground organization and the staging of the descent into the world of the dead. The visit confirmed my intention to focus my research solely on your underground necropolis. – Léa Namer
During the period of Spanish domination, it was a custom in Buenos Aires, as in all cities of Latin America, to bury bodies in sacred spaces. The deceased from the wealthiest families were buried inside churches, while cemeteries housed the graves of the rest of the population. For hygiene reasons, the Spanish crown decreed that cemeteries be moved outside the cities. Although several decades passed before the decree was implemented in Spain and South America, cemeteries became a subject of study for the Royal Spanish Academy of Fine Arts. After Argentina's independence in 1816, Buenos Aires began implementing sanitary guidelines as part of significant urban development due to population growth and several epidemics that overwhelmed the existing necropolises.
Buenos Aires has three public cemeteries: Recoleta, San José de Flores, and Chacarita, designated for different social classes, demonstrating the city's economic segregation even in the funerary space. Recoleta Cemetery was inaugurated in 1822 and houses the tombs of Argentina's aristocracy and notable families. San José de Flores Cemetery inaugurated in 1867, is located in the south of the city, while Chacarita Cemetery, the largest in the country and one of the largest in the world, was inaugurated in 1886 as the 'Cemetery of the West,' belonging to the middle class and housing some sports and music figures. It also hosts the city's only crematorium and features an eclectic architectural ensemble that includes vaults and mausoleums, graves, ossuaries, galleries of funeral niches, and pantheons.
The name 'Chacarita' comes from chacara or chacra, which means 'granary' or 'field' in the Quechua language and refers to the land's agricultural past. Around 1871, the first cemetery was founded to address the yellow fever epidemic, which left between 15,000 and 20,000 dead, 10% of the population. The situation was so dire that a tram line was created to transport the bodies to their burials. The first funerals took place in what is now Parque Los Andes and the City acquired the adjacent land, which now corresponds to the current location of the cemetery.
Juan A. Buschiazzo designed the new cemetery and supervised its construction between 1882 and 1886. The project featured an orthogonal layout overlaid with diagonal alleys, inspired by the city of La Plata. A main axis connected the main entrance, administrative offices, the chapel, and the crematorium, enhancing the perspectives of the necropolis. Certain lanes were designated for automobiles and others for pedestrians, and the burial areas were divided between open grounds and galleries of niches. Since its inauguration, the organization of the necropolis has been adjusted several times due to numerous urban and demographic changes in the city.
In parallel with the modernization process of Buenos Aires, the City aimed to optimize its cemeteries. In 1935, a resolution by the Honorable City Council proposed developing a project with the characteristics of a cemetery park. The proposal consisted of a vertical cemetery park with an underground necropolis in the style of ancient catacombs, with the ground level reserved for a park. This typology embraced spatial rationalization by maximizing the density of plots, and technical innovation by relying on the construction innovations of the time, such as the use of hydraulic excavators and retaining walls. The underground architecture was organized around courtyards to connect, illuminate, and ventilate the spaces. The tomb niches were treated as modular elements, aligned and superimposed on multiple levels on both sides of the galleries, allowing for optimal densification of the necropolis.
There were five underground pantheons at the entrance to the Chacarita cemetery, but since they were not enough to alleviate the congestion in the necropolis, a study to construct a sixth pantheon began in 1946. The project involved the construction of nine new underground galleries on a 300-meter-wide plot. The plan was designed to accommodate around 150,000 burials: 96,000 niches for coffins, 7,000 for bones, and 42,000 for urns. Construction was carried out in three phases between 1949 and 1966, divided into eight triangular sections defined by the original street layout.
Unlike classic funerary forms, such as tombs or vaults, through which each one asserts individuality and social power—your Sixth Pantheon advocated for an egalitarian social vision. Everyone was equal and identical, with the same 62-centimeter high and 78-centimeter wide travertine slab as a commemorative space. – Léa Namer
The second phase between 1955 and 1958 corresponds to the arrival of Ítala Fulvia Villa, who decided to densify the initial design by adding a second basement level. The upper level of the Sixth Pantheon consists of a 90,000-square-meter expanse of grass with pedestrian paths and rectangular patios of various sizes. The nine concrete pavilions, which serve as entrances to the underground galleries, are located at the four corners of the plot, along the sides, and in the center. The concrete walls with geometric shapes alter visitors' perceptions, while the alignment of the air extraction grilles adds a touch of color and enhances the pathways, and the treetops in the patios catch their eyes.
The project wouldn't have fascinated me as much if you hadn't moved away from the classic early Modernism aesthetics of the 1930s and used concrete so subtly. Through the subtlety of the motifs, the texture of the concrete, and the play of light and shadow through the concrete screens, I felt the special attention you paid to the visitors of your necropolis. – Léa Namer
This feature is part of an ArchDaily series titled AD Narratives, where we share the story behind a selected project, diving into its particularities. Every month, we explore new constructions from around the world, highlighting their story and how they came to be. We also talk to the architects, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
