The Barrios of Buenos Aires

Abdul kader Kabbani

Barrio:

Villa del Parque

Page: 1-6

Parque Patricios

7-12

La Boca

13-18

Colegiales

19-24

Vicente Lopez

25-30

Belgrano

31-36

San Telmo

37-42

Villa del Parque The soul of a space

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Basket Ball

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Partying

Band practice

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Drake

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Watching TV

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The sound emanating from within the properties along with the physical appearance of the structure dictated my path, while painting a picture of the occupants of Villa del Parque

Beneath the surface of a space

Fabric typologies, textures, and sounds are all aspects of the composition of a neighborhood. Villa del Parque is a neighborhood of many colors, styles, and textures, but with one consistency, scale. The streets of Villa del Parque were empty, only the occasional dog, or commuter occupied the space to the exterior of the four walls, or rod iron gates, of the residence. The only clue into the lives of the people who call the neighborhood home was the various sounds emanating from within their bubble. Although the neighborhood has maintained a consistent scale, the residences have each renovated their buildings to their personal liking.

As one descends into Villa del Parque the buildings begin to speak, telling you the story of their past, their present, and their relationship with their context. The building begins to reveal what or even who is on the inside. From the decomposing cladding of the exterior walls, to the deep red color of the door, or even the skyline of drying laundry that hovers in the sky above the evidence starts to lay out clues to the unknown.

Upon further navigating the streets and the sidewalks of Villa del Parque the buildings begin to reveal yet another clue to the story of their space. As one passes a building the sounds of children playing, couples arguing, guitars being played, balls being kicked from within, begin to flow out to the street furthermore connecting the heart of the building to its surrounding context. A picture of the story into the hearts and souls of an urban landscape begins to develop. .

References Paul Strand The Court, New York, 1924

Xul Solar

“The Immortal” Jorge Luis Borges

Parque Patricio Layers of a community

Layers of Antiquity

The antiquity of a place or of a people creates richness, or charm, almost validating its originality. Upon arrival into the neighborhood the shade of the many old trees filters the rays of the sun as George walks, adapting his stride to the cobblestone street. He slowly approaches the public park where hundreds of people are spending their Sunday afternoon. One group of children is playing soccer, a couple is picnicking, an elderly man is tanning and a woman is sleeping. As he pauses to take in his surrounding he begins to notice the complexity of the neighborhood, what’s there now, what’s to come, but most importantly what was there before. Stories of a native graveyard in the 15th century, a mass grave during the yellow fever outbreak of 1871 and even the city’s main slaughter house, and prison run through his head.

As George continues to move along the park he finds himself caught in a web of merchants selling treasures they have accumulated. Selling anything from mattes, to used underwear, they line either side of the sidewalk connecting the park to the to the outside world through the origination of the artifacts they are hawking.

George stops to pick up a silver box. He closes his eyes to imagine the story behind the box. Every found object becomes a monument, a clue and a symbol of a past story.

George puts the box down and continues his walk. Along the periphery of the park, the sound of music is in the air, as if it was coming out of nowhere. As he reaches the edge of the plaza the silhouettes of local Argentines moving, and dancing alongside their fellow citizens waving a white handkerchief in the air in almost a celebration of their past, their history, their culture appear. Their shadows intertwine almost as pure abstractions of those who have danced before. .

References Henri Cartier-Bresson The Great Leap Forward, Beijing, China

Xul Solar Mensajero de lo fantรกstico

The Circular Ruins Jorge Luis Borges

La Boca

1930

1905

1887

Direction was changed based on saftey and avoiding groups of locals

Traditional Conventillos 1950 are torn down 1959

Residents of La Boca claim independice from Argentina

Tango is first danced in the conventillos

1880

6 million europens immigrants in Argentina

Benito Guinquela Martin La Boca native and famous artist, revives La Boca

Lower income High crime

The Urban Threshold Walking through the streets of La Boca, George feels that he is the subject of many people’s gazes. He feels out of place and that he stands out. As he continues to walk, he comes to a large field. The stench of burning garbage permeates the air. On the same field as the burning trash, two groups of men kick a soccer ball around, and many more fill the sidelines to watch sitting in the shadow of a huge mono block housing building. As George continues to walk, he passes groups of men that make him very uneasy. When he looks into their eyes he can sense that he is not welcome. The street eventually leads to a dead end.

The Riachuelo, with two monstrous steel bridges spanning the river and the stench of untreated waste water permeating through the air is the scene before his eyes. In the distance, George catches a glimpse of something colorful. He begins to make out a distinct melody of tango protruding beyond the thick stench of the river. It is almost as if he has come across an Oasis in the dessert. Is it real or is it only a mirage?

As George begins to walk closer and closer, the warmer he begins to feel and finally he is surrounded by walls of colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, the scent of fresh coffee and parilla, the laughter of children and seniors alike. He had crossed into the threshold of La Boca.

References Walker Evans Street Scene, Morgan City, Louisiana

Xul Solar, Zig-zag, 1949, Acuarela sobre papel

Spinoza Jorge Luis Borges

Colegiales

A multi generational symbiosis

Multi generational symbiosis

Arriving at the subway station, George begins to make his way towards the exit. He follows the swarm of people through the labyrinth of underground walkways and stair cases until he catches a glimpse of sunlight at the top of the last stair case. As he approaches the street he is drawn to the colorful display of street vendors on either side of the road, creating a landscape of items for sale. He begins his walk moving south west through the neighborhood of mostly lower density residential buildings until he abruptly comes to some train tracks. The piercing sound of a bell rings in the air, warning pedestrians of the approaching train. George waits for several minutes until the train passes and he continues his walk through the streets. The streets are full of people sitting around at cafes, walking their dogs or heading out on some errand. Suddenly the laughter of children running out of a building collides with his senses, alerting him to the fact that classes were being let out for the day. This sight is consistent along the boulevard, with slightly beleaguered mothers, almost all pushing strollers, and younger children tagging along, now filling the sidewalks. The walls on the side of the road are covered in tasteful graffiti, at times fading away to be replaced by religious paraphernalia. Following these scenes, George’s eyes are directed to several buildings sitting above the level of the street.

The buildings, made up of giant white cylinders stretching towards the sky, are old grain silos, which have been turned into high end yuppie lofts. George eventually makes his way to a park at the end of the boulevard where he finds a bench to sit and rest. He observes the neighborhood of Coligiales as it transforms through the different hours of the afternoon, exposing the routines of the vibrant multi generational neighborhood.

References Eadweard Muybridge Motion of a football

Xul Solar - Jol

The Circular Ruins George Luis Borges

Vicente Lopez City of Surveillance

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12:07 June 27 1857-Rail established

The eyes in the sky The sensation of the deceleration of the subway was enough to wake George up. It was the last stop of line D, Congresso de Tucuman, with the next part of his journey consisting of a short cab ride about 20 blocks up Cabilldo and under the freeway over pass, marking the transition from the city of Buenos Aires to the province.

He is on a mission to find a house that once belonged to members of his family. It is where they lived, grew up and where many memories were made. The change of the name of the street is the first hint that he has left the city limits. The dramatic shift in the density of the buildings and city blocks creates a calm sensation among the people in the streets. Three story buildings quickly turn into large single family houses that stretch half a block. He continues to walk through the neighborhood. The landscape of cobble stone streets and manicured sidewalks begin and are abruptly interrupted by guard stations littering both sides of the streets two or three per block. He catches a glimpse of a man’s face in a mirror staring him down, and a field of surveillance cameras hovering over the horizon of hedges and fences lining the side walk. It is as if the residents of Vicente Lopez try to find and express their identity through their gardens and timeless architecture, yet keeping an eye on their neighbors and surroundings at all times with their ‘eyes in the sky’. Almost to the house, George turns a corner and is stopped by a security guard who seemed as if he was waiting for him. With a big smile, the guard tells him to walk away and assures him there is something a lot more interesting to look at further down the street. He feels every move he makes is being watched, and that his next move is being anticipated by the Person around every corner. It’s a beautiful place he thinks to himself, a beautiful prison.

George finally arrives at the house and begins to look around. The house built in France in 1901 was disassembled and shipped to Buenos Aires. Standing tall, which George recalls from old photographs, with its white marble wall flowing down to the cobblestone street is the house. The house is the final piece to the puzzle of stories he had heard, the parties on the roof, the summer days in the gardens, ballet lessons in the second floor studio. George makes his way back to the subway station, under the freeway over pass and through the threshold into the capital where he once again becomes another body lost in the noise, but free from the beautiful prison .

“Yoguis”, obra de Xul Solar, mensajero de lo fantástico

Henri Cartier-Bresson. 1992. Martine Franck

“The Immortal” Jorge Luis Borges

Tango in the Park The sound of harmonic singing penetrating the walls of the round church, catches Georges attention as we walks through the center park in Belgrano. George has set out in search of a song, not of a church choir, but that of the Argentine tango. It is early evening on a warm summer night, and the streets and parks of the neighborhood are full of life. Couples, old and young, occupy the wooden benches along the cobble stone streets and peddlers fill the sidewalks with everything from candles to Christmas ornaments. The neighborhood that was once the capital of Buenos Aires seems to be a city within a city. A short stroll down Campos Avenue, George finds himself at Barracas Belgrano, a large grass park filled with people walking their dogs, biking and working out. As he walks deeper into the park, he begins to hear the call. The song that he set out to look for begins to ring louder through the warm summer air. Within a few moments he is there, standing in front of the large concrete gazebo. George watches as at least twenty couples move in a harmonious, sensuous steps, called the tango

References Bougival, 1956, Henri-Carter Bresson

Xul Solar Ciudad Lagui

The Circular Ruins Jorge Luis Borges

San Telmo

A NEW HOME San Telmo, the neighborhood of many colors, styles, and textures, is home to the bustling noise of the weekly flea market that flows through the alley ways and the rod iron doors into the old courtyards of Conventillos. The streets are filled with vendors from all over the city, selling found objects, old objects, and made objects. As George walks through the sea of people his eye is caught by the glimmer of the steel surface of an old camera.

As he picks it up he thinks of the stories the antique could tell. He wonders what worlds has it seen through its lens, what the moments has it captured. Like many aspects of the neighborhood, it has been forgotten, passed on to someone else. The upper class families that once resided behind the brick and stone walls have been all but forgotten once they moved further into the city due to disease out breaks. They left behind their houses for something better. Like the camera, the houses were appreciated by someone of another day and time, leaving us to wonder and imagine about the stories they could tell.

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References Xul Solar

An image from “Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye.�

Garden of forking paths Jorge Luis Borges