Casa de la Cultura de la Ciudad

The Casa de la Cultura is the former building of La Prensa newspaper and one of the most luxurious 19th century buildings in the city. Today it belongs to the Buenos Aires city government and hosts shows, courses and workshops as well as housing administrative offices.

The building was constructed in 1898 by the engineers Carlos Agote and Alberto Gainza for La Prensa newspaper. The luxurious interiors were built by French companies and the included a system of communication using pneumatic tubes which was the height of technology at the time. Highlights of the building include the magnificent Salón Dorado, or goldern hall, on the first floor and the bronze representation of the goddess of wisdom Pallas Athena that crowns the building.

Trivia

La Prensa newspaper used to announce the most important news using a siren. It was used for the first time in 1900 when King Umberto 1 of Italy was assassinated, and the last occasions included Argentina's victory in the football World Cup in 1978 and the assumption of Raúl Alfonsín as president on the country's return to democracy in 1983.