Argentine architecture is a vivid mosaic rooted in a fusion of European influences, indigenous traditions, and modernist interpretations. From the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the rugged charm of Patagonia's remote structures, every built form dictates a unique narrative of Argentina's past and present. The legacy of Spanish colonialism is palpable in the ornate facades of buildings found in cities like Córdoba and Salta, where Baroque and neoclassical designs prevail, echoing a past era of opulence. The 1930s brought a shift in the urban landscape with the emergence of Art Deco intertwined with European modernism, showcasing an adaptation towards streamlined forms, geometric designs, and utilization of new materials.
With time, Argentine cities witnessed cutting-edge designs that married avant-garde aesthetics with sustainability. The convergence of tradition and modernity is evident in the architectural feats across the country, where modern edifices coexist with UNESCO-listed colonial quarters, boasting a fascinating juxtaposition of old and new. Below is a list of 25 architecture firms illustrating Argentina's present and evolving architectural developments.
Luciano Kruk is an accomplished architect who has received significant recognition, including first prizes at the Biennials of the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires. In 2012, he founded his own studio, Luciano Kruk Arquitectos, which has delved into numerous projects in individual and collective housing. His work has received prestigious awards, such as the SCA-CPAU Award for his project Casa L4 at the XVI Buenos Aires Architecture Biennial in 2016.
2. Estudio Galera Arquitectura
Estudio Galera focuses on designing, managing, and constructing architectural projects by offering comprehensive solutions tailored to address specific challenges. The studio aims to rethink traditional architectural concepts, taking into account environmental, climatic, economic, and personal factors impacting future inhabitants. Prioritizing cordiality, respect, and personalized attention, the studio actively involves clients to ensure that project completion aligns with their expectations.
3. Hitzig Militello arquitectos
Hitzig Militello Architects specializes in delivering upscale commercial and residential projects across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. Its expertise lies particularly in crafting exceptional spaces for the hospitality industry (restaurants, bars, hotels) and creating innovative work environments for tech startups, garnering international acclaim and accolades for their distinctive concepts. In 2020, the firm joined the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID). A year later, it became a member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce in Florida (AACC).
Estudio PK is an architectural studio dedicated to designing, directing, and executing projects collectively. Its approach involves interpreting needs through a diverse, comprehensive, and innovative perspective, translating project goals into precise, efficient, and distinctive proposals that align with real economic conditions. The studio continuously monitors and assesses the entire creative process, ensuring optimization and refinement in both project planning and technical operations for enhanced outcomes.
Founded by Justo Solsona and Josefina Santos, MSGSSV emerged from their graduation as architects from the University of Buenos Aires in 1956. Winning a significant housing towers competition in La Boca in 1957, the team established a pattern of participating in major competitions. In 1962, Flora Manteola and Javier Sánchez Gómez joined, contributing to the firm's success, notably securing second place in the contest for the new National Library. Beyond the design phase, MSGSSV oversees technical documentation and coordinates engineering, ensuring quality, cost control, and architectural coherence in all endeavours, spanning Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Planning, and Product Design.
Since 1968, Pablo Gagliardo has been instrumental in the country's development by constructing infrastructure, habitats, and real estate developments. Initially focused on building roads and bridges in the Patagonian region, expanding later to hydraulic projects, sanitation, housing, and hotel developments. Currently, the firm's primary business units encompass urban and real estate project development, both public and private construction, showcasing high diversification in roadways, hydraulic systems, sanitation, electromechanics, and architecture.
7. Besonias Almeida arquitectos
BESONÍAS ALMEIDA arquitectos comprises Argentinian architects María Victoria Besonias and Guillermo de Almeida. They have been individually practicing architecture since 1975 and jointly operated the BAKarquitectos office from 2000 to 2012.
In 2007, the concept of "Además arquitectura" emerged among a group of design colleagues at the FADU workshops. The essence of "Además" has always revolved around the idea of a collaborative working collective. Currently, the team consists of four members.
The Gianserra + Lima Architects Studio has cultivated its practice over 25 years with a reverence for architectural principles. Throughout its extensive history of residential projects, it endeavors to grasp and interpret the context of each undertaking, aiming to achieve sustainability and an ideal scale. It has been directed by its founding partners, Fernando Gianserra and Luis Gonzalo Lima, since 1991.
The Pinto da Mota-Falcón studio was established in 2006, based in C.A.B.A., Argentina. Its work has been recognized and exhibited in BIAU 2019, BIAAR 2016, and notably, securing the 1st prize in BIAAR 2018. It has achieved the First Prize in Architecture by FADEA in the C.A.B.A. Region in 2018, and it was awarded the First Prize in the Biennial of Design FADU for constructions both within the country and abroad in 2017. Additionally, it received the First Prize in CAPBA for Constructed Architecture and Urbanism in 2018, along with the National Brick Architecture Award in 2020.
Sebastián Colle co-leads the Colle-Croce architecture studio alongside Rodolfo Croce in Buenos Aires. Sebastián has been engaged in teaching activities at FADU/UBA and served as a tutor in various workshops and seminars. He has delivered multiple lectures at different national universities. Rodolfo was a full professor of Morphology at the School of Architecture and Urban Studies, UTDT, where he taught from 2010 to 2014. He also tutored and conducted drawing clinics at the School of Architecture and Urban Studies between 2007 and 2009.
Hermanos Goldenberg, based in Buenos Aires - Argentina, an Architecture Office firm centered around Residential Architecture. Founded by Andrés and Javier Goldenberg, the firm is involved in key projects like the Darwin 1111.
13. stc arquitectos / Salassa-tissot-castañeda
STC Arquitectos, situated in Cordoba, Argentina, operates under the leadership of three partners: Juan Salassa, Ivan Castañeda, and Santiago Tissot. The firm endeavors to adapt to evolving global conditions through purposeful and critical architectural designs. In the Latin American context, it navigates creativity within resource limitations, aiming to establish a pragmatic yet distinct local identity.
14. | CRBN | Carbone Arquitectos
CRBN Architects, located in Buenos Aires, is an award-winning team of architects. It strives to infuse innovation into every project, aiming to elevate the quality of its work. By prioritizing people-friendly environments, the studio aspires to enhance the quality of life.
ATV arquitectos is an architecture firm and comprehensive project developer known for its commitment to quality, avant-garde design, innovation, and attentive client service. Led by partners Federico Azubel, Ignacio Trabucchi and Walter Viggiano, the study's approach focuses on cultivating a distinctive style through transparent and comprehensive management, emphasizing service excellence to surpass their clients' expectations.
Frazzi Arquitectos studio specializes in delving into architectural needs across diverse programs using a method of projective research. Each project is approached uniquely, fostering an ideological debate that deeply challenges conventions. Its experimental spirit transforms into a playful exploration, blurring the lines between initiation and conclusion, yielding fascinating results within the creative process. Its distinctive features include utilizing recyclable elements, redesigning, and creatively employing raw materials like concrete, brick, wood, and iron in construction.
BAM! is a dynamic architecture studio formed by young entrepreneurs, focused on merging design, functionality, and context. It champions a holistic approach to work, recognizing that buildings, like individuals, exceed its mere components. The studio belief in the synergy of design, functionality, and context underscores its versatile approach to design, urbanism, and architecture. Collaboration is at its core, believing in the power of co-creation to yield superior results through teamwork.
ZIM Arquitextura defines architecture through 'arquitextura,' a unique perception of architecture and the world. Acknowledging that each person interacts uniquely with space and others, bringing its own past and story, the firm emphasizes the individual ways of inhabiting space. ZIM Arquitextura's mission is to help clients recognize their distinctiveness and ensure that the space and morphology reflect their unique originality.
A4estudio is an architecture firm with a broad spectrum of interests, aiming to create sustainable designs that encompass environmental, economic, and social aspects. Its work involves project development and technical management. The firm collaborates with project management offices, construction firms, landscapers, and designers to offer comprehensive solutions for project execution. Since 2004, it has led various projects of diverse scales and complexities across different landscapes.
20. alarcia-ferrer arquitectos
The architectural firm Alarcia-Ferrer Arquitectos has participated in various Provincial, National, and International competitions, receiving numerous awards. Additionally, it was nominated for the Emerging Architecture Award MCHAP 2016 and received an Honorable Mention in the YALA (Young Architects in Latin America) Biennale in Venice 2018. Selected to represent the country in the BAL 2015 (Latin American Architecture Biennial), its work has been extensively published in various national and international print and digital media.
21. Ezequiel Amado Cattaneo Arquitectos
Ezequiel Amado Cattaneo Architects was established in Buenos Aires in 2003, accumulating 20 years of architectural expertise in the field. The firm specializes in crafting projects with a distinctive, strong, and timeless imprint. Its team, composed of young, demanding, and focused professionals, maintains a high standard of personalized service throughout the project lifecycle. Its projects are defined by their authenticity, elegance, solidity, harmony, and striking impact.
BAK Architects is a renowned Argentine company established in 2000 by three professional architects: María Victoria Besonías, Guillermo de Almeida, and Luciano Kruk. The team is recognized for its daring and extraordinary projects. Since 2005, the firm has executed over 300 compelling projects, showcasing their innovative approach and expertise in the field of architecture.
Alric Galindez, an international architectural studio formed in 1995 and led by Santiago Alric, Carlos Galindez, and Federico Lloveras, operates from offices in Buenos Aires and Bariloche, collaborating on projects across Argentina and globally. The studio's focus lies in perceiving architecture within landscapes, encompassing both natural and urban contexts. Notable achievements include winning top prizes in contests such as the International Project Competition of Globant Iconic Building, the National Competition of Preliminary Projects of the Events Center in La Rural, and the Complex of Mixed Uses Private Competition of Talleres de Pescarmona, among others.
CENTER ZERO STUDIO is a flexible and interdisciplinary platform fostering the collaboration of professionals in specialized workgroups with precise objectives. Its expertise stems from a reevaluation of the traditional architecture studio and its commercialization methods. It aims for a comprehensive approach to project management, encompassing site study, development, design, construction drawings, and construction itself. The practice is anchored in research, teaching, and continuous learning.
IR Architecture is a collaborative practice that began in 2008. Comprising architects, designers, and enthusiasts with diverse academic backgrounds, the architectural collective is driven by models in crisis, focusing on social, environmental, and economic issues to offer strategies and urban, architectural, and object-oriented models infused with enhanced energy efficiency in all dimensions. Its work has earned recognition in national and international competitions, featured in various digital and print publications, showcased in prominent venues like the Museum of Architecture of Buenos Aires (MARQ) and the Metropolitan Design Center (CMD), and presented at numerous conferences and gatherings, including TEDx Rio Limay in 2013 and international architecture biennials.
The selection curated by the Archello editorial team is based on a combination of the number of featured projects and the views they generated.
