Argentine architect and painter Clorindo Testa in his studio in Buenos Aires.

Renowned Argentine architect and painter Clorindo Testa, famous for designing The National Library in Buenos Aires, died yesterday at the age of 89. The National Academy of Fine Arts, of which Testa was a member, confirmed the news yesterday, though did not mention any causes. After a vigil in the Central Society of Architects in Buenos Aires, the funeral will take place today in the city’s Cemetery of Recoleta.

“Today is a sad day for our city. Clorindo Testa left us, a talented man, who we will always remember for his admirable work!” stated Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri on Twitter. In the Argentine capital, Testa designed buildings such as Banco de Londres y América del Sur, Hospital Naval, Cultural Centre of Recoleta and the iconic National Library. Critics say his creations were a mixture of his lifetime memories, readings and travels, so that both his work as an artist and architect were a kind of an autobiography.

Testa was born on 10^th of December 1923 in Naples, Italy, but his family moved to Buenos Aires before he was one year old. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in 1948, but then very soon recieved a scholarship from The University of Buenos Aires to travel and study in Europe. Immediately after his return from Italy he won the national competition for designing the building of The Argentina Chamber of Construction.

About his simultaneous formation as a painter and architect Testa had pointed out: “I started both at the same time. I never had a problem.”

In 1962 Testa with two other architects Francisco Bullrich and Alicia Cazzaniga won the award for designing the National Library in Buenos Aires. The building is an example of style from 1950s which favoured that concrete structures were left in sight and treated them in a sculptural manner.

At an academic level, Testa was distinguished with an honorary PhD from the University of Buenos Aires in 1992 and also received an honorary title in Rome in 2003. Testa, also known for his many drawings, sketches and paintings, has been working in his studio in Buenos Aires until a few weeks ago, but his advanced age prevented him from continuing and expanding his big opus.

It only takes walking along the streets of cities like Buenos Aires to notice the distinct features of Argentine architecture. Like the country itself, Argentina’s architectural heritage is the result of a wealth of international influences, with buildings across the city varying from imposing, Haussman-style apartment blocks to radically modern, conceptual designs.

Argentine Architects of the World on exhibit at Centro Cultural Recoleta (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

Though the county’s older architecture owes itself to Spanish colonisation and the influx of European immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century, the international element of the country’s architecture has still not been lost. And with a continual input from overseas, architecture today has retained a unique sense of diversity.

With this same element of internationality at its centre, the ‘Argentine Architects in the World’ exhibition begins with an explanation of recent architecture. Aiming to show how Argentine architecture is not solely international in its influences, the exhibition explains how, due to the recurring difficult economic situations in the 20th century, architects in Argentina have been forced to find work elsewhere. When they returned, not only did they come back with a wealth of international influences, they had also injected Argentina’s architecture into different cities around the world.

Luis J. Grossman and Daniel O. Casoy are the curators of the exhibition which is now in its ninth year and is presently showing at the Centro Cultural Recoleta for the first time. Part of a larger organisation of the same name, the architects shown at ‘Argentine Architects in the World’ have each been chosen for their unique input into architecture and what results is arguably a collection of the most important names in the contemporary architectural world.

The exhibition is split into two parts, with one room dedicated to the collections of previous years. Photos and diagrams accompany profiles of architects, and although admittedly the commentaries can sometimes be overly proud in their tone, this part of the exhibition is, nonetheless, a fascinating run-through some of Argentina’s most important architectural names.

Walking around the room is like going on a tour with an expert guide. Familiar faces of buildings such as the Catholic University of Argentina and the MALBA gallery mean that, even if architecture isn’t your speciality, this exhibition never fails to be interesting and offers a unique insight into your surroundings in Buenos Aires. Looking at Argentine architecture in cities such as Miami, Munich and Madrid, ‘Argentine Architects in the World’ also offers a point of comparison between architecture in Argentina and the rest of the world.

Floralis Generica by Eduardo Catalano (Photo: Trey Ratcliff)

This year’s version of the exhibition is, however, a cut above the efforts of past years. For the first time in the exhibition’s history, original drawings of the buildings and constructions we pass on a daily basis are on display in their very earliest stages. The inclusion of the drawings – perhaps the result of the exhibition being held in an art space for the first time – means the exhibition cannot simply be described as “architectural.” The drawings are practically art objects in their own right, exposing a sense of creativity unique to each architect. Among them are Eduardo Catalano’s highly detailed drawings of his masterpiece La Floralis Generica – the huge, mechanical, silver flower in Recoleta – offering a previously unseen element of one of the most recognisable architectural successes in Buenos Aires. Standing in contrast to more colourful pieces, or those with more mathematical calculations, this year’s collection betrays a unique sense of each architect’s personality.

Architecture may not be something you know a lot about. But even if it isn’t your thing, this exhibition is a great way to get to know the strengths of the Argentine architecture that surrounds us every day. This year’s more creative side, and the detailed insights into each architect mean that this year, architecture in Argentina just became a lot more accessible.