1930s Art Deco Style Bar in Wood - Key Has the Nordiska Monogram

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Bar Art Deco
The Key Has the Nordiska Monogram.

Nordiska Kompaniet

The building is located at the corner of Marcelo … Read more Bar Art Deco
The Key Has the Nordiska Monogram.

Nordiska Kompaniet

The building is located at the corner of Marcelo T. de Alvear and Florida, in a 525 m2 lot in front of the Hotel Plaza and Plaza San Martín, in the Retiro neighborhood in Argentina. It was built in 1934 to house the commercial headquarters of Nordiska Kompaniet, a Swedish company dedicated to the manufacture and design of stylish furniture that set up its factory in the country at a time when, due to the economic crisis and import difficulties, the imports of classic furniture. It was designed to meet the functional and advertising needs of the commercial premises, and its facades and interior layout respond to that logic. Over time, the building has been modified, incorporating several levels and adapting its function to new requirements.

The rationalist language building, white and predominantly horizontal, contrasts with the traditional built environment, but is carefully inserted into the existing fabric, consolidating the urban front through the following of the facades, the resolution of the diagonal corner open towards the square respecting the ochava, and the recognition of the heights of the neighboring buildings, in particular, those of the Hotel Plaza.
The original building had a basement, used for warehouses and technical rooms; the ground floor, with stained glass windows and a sales room; 2 exposure levels; 1 level of offices, and a small roof terrace. The organization in plants followed principles of rigorous functionality. The circulation core, with a freight elevator, stairway, and elevator, was located in the background against the party walls, freeing up the floor plan and the facades. On the ground floor, the aim was to facilitate and make the accesses independent, and a main access for the public was located on the party wall towards Florida street and a vehicular service access on Marcelo T. de Alvear street on the party wall linked to the forklift.
The structure was resolved with a concrete skeleton that refers to the metallic skeletons of the commercial buildings of the late 19th century. The building's enclosure contrasted with the previous load-bearing wall architecture by establishing a new relationship between solids and voids. The perimeter columns were removed from the exterior facing and aligned with the carpentry, enhancing the liberated and horizontal reading of the fronts.

The facades reveal Vilar's bare, severe and elegant style. The ground floor functioned as a large stained-glass window with large windows and was separated from the rest of the building by its dark cladding and a thin eaves that unified the two fronts. For the rest of the building, Vilar used a cement plaster and used the unified window type detail with cover and radiator, and the metal frames placed flush with the plaster.
Currently the building has been greatly altered due to the incorporation of several upper levels and the replacement of the original painted curtains with adjustable ones in darker tones. The building that we find today with a ground floor and eight floors, is subdivided into 38 units.

The Nordiska headquarters was one of the first works of Antonio Vilar, who together with his brother Carlos were prolific references of the rationalist vocabulary in Argentina from the 1930s. In its architecture the features of his professional practice and project mode are established. : consideration of the urban environment, rigorous functionality and refinement of constituent elements, adaptation of the best resources to the project's requirements and the flexibility to absorb changes.

Why are there so many antiques in Argentina?
In the 1880 – 1940 there was a grate wave of immigration encouraged by the periods of war that were taking place.
1st World War took place between 1914 and 1918
2nd World War took place between 1939 and 1945
The immigrants options were New York or Bueno Aires. Tickets were cheap and in Buenos Aires they were welcomed with open arms, as it was a country where everything was still to be done.
Argentina was the country of new opportunities, labour was needed and religious freedom was assured, in many cases the of the family travel first until they were settled and then the rest of the family members join them.
In the immigrant museum “Ellis Island Immigrant Building” in New York you can se the promotional posters of the boats that would take them to a new life.
Between the years 1895 and 1986, Argentina had the highest DGP (gross domestic product) per capita in the world according to the Maddison Historical Statistics index, this situation arose due to the large amount of food being exported to European countries, which were at war.
The Argentinean ships left the port of Buenos Aires with food, but they returned with furniture, clothes and construction elements, (it´s common to see this the old buildings of the historic neighbourhood of San Telmo, the beams with the inscription “Made in England)”, as well as many markets that were built in Buenos Aires, such us the San Telmo Market, whose structure was brought by ship and afterwards assembled in 900 Defensa Street.
With the great influence of European immigrants living in the country, the children of the upper classes travelled to study in France, resulting in the inauguration of “La Maison Argentinienne”, on 27th of June 1928, in the international city of Paris, which hosted many Argentinians that were studying in Frace.
It´s the fourth house to be built after France, Canada and Belgium, being the first Spanish-speaking one. Still in place today (17 Bd Jourdan, 75014, Paris, France). Many of the children of these wealthy families who attended international art exhibitions, museums and art courses abroad, took a keen interest in the European style. This is why Buenos Aires was at the time referred as “The Paris of South America”.
Between the years 1890 and 1920 more than a hundred Palaces were built on Alvear Avenue the most exclusive avenue in Buenos Aires. Today some of these palaces have been transformed into museums, hotels and embassies.
In the year 1936, the Kavanagh building was inaugurated, it was the tallest reinforced concrete building in South America.
During 1994 the American Society of Civil Engineers distinguished it as an “international engineering milestone”, and it´s now considered a World Heritage of Modern Architecture.
At the time was common to hire foreign architects such as Le Corbusier, who visited Buenos Aires/Argentina in 1929 and in 1948 he drew up the blueprints for a house built in La Plata City (which was declared a World Heritage Site).
In 1947, the Hungarian architect Marcelo Breuer designed “Parador Ariston” in the seaside city of Mar del Plata. After an Argentinean student at Harvard University convinced him to come to Argentina. He worked on an urban development project in the Casa Amarilla, area of La Boca.
The Ukrainian architect, Vladimiro Acosta, arrives in Argentina in 1928 and worked as an architect until que moved to Brazil.
Antonio Bonet, a Spanish architect who worked with Le Corbusier in Paris, arrives in Argentina in 1937, where he carried out several architectural works and in 1938 designs the well-known BFK chair.
Andres Kálnay, of Hungarian origin, made around 120 architectural masterpieces, among which the former Munich brewery stands out, he even made the furniture’s design.
The German architect, Walter Gropius, director of the Bauhaus, lived in Argentina, where he wrote articles for “Sur” magazine and founded in Buenos Aires, an architectural firm with Franz Möller, who was also an architect, where he built two houses.
At the same time several famous designers decided to immigrate to Argentina, among them we can find the well-known French designer, Jean-Michel Frank, who arrived in the country in 1940 and also worked for the Rockefeller family.
Special pieces were made, which were sold exclusively in the country, such as the well-known German company “WMF”, who sold their products by catalogue, which were chosen by the ladies of high society in the list of wedding gifts, as well as the pieces designed by Christofle.
The Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, made special pieces for Argentinean mansions.
In 1904 the first Jansen branch outside Paris was established in Buenos Aires, as the Argentinean clientele demanded a large amount of furniture, from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century.
In 1970, the brand Rigolleau Argentina made pieces authorised by Lalique.
The brands Maple and Thompson also set up shop in the country.
The French plastic artist, Marcel Duchamp moved to Argentina in 1918-1919.
Glass signed Gallé, Charder, Leverre, Schneider, Muller and other French firms. They were bought in flower shops and were given to ladies with beautiful floral arrangements.
Some furniture manufacturers travelled to international fairs and bough the patterns to produce the furniture in Argentina, such as the furniture firm Englander and Bonta, who bought the patterns ins Italy.
It is worth mentioning that in Argentina we have the largest community of Italians outside of Italy, as it is estimated that 70 percent of the inhabitants have at least one Italian descendant, followed by Spanish immigrants.
The most Important furniture stores in Argentina:
Comte is founded in 1934 (under the direct management of Jean Michel Frank in 1940).
Nordiska (Swedish company established in 1934).
Churba in 1960, a company that brought foreign designers to present their furniture in the country:
Denmark: (Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Bender Madsen, Ejner Larsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans Wegner)
Sweden: (Hans Agne Jakobsson, Gustavsberg)
United States: (Herman Miller)
Finland: (Lisa Johansson, Folke Arstrom, Tapio Wirkkala, Alvar Aalto, Timo Sarpaneva)
Swedish Factory: (Orrefors)
Italy: (Littala, Vico Magistretti, Emma Gismondi, Gae Aulenti, Angelo Mangiarotti, Elio Martinelli, Gianna Celada, Angelo Mangiarotti, Mario Bellini, Carlo Scarpa)
Finland: (Olivia Toikka)
Plata Lappas (Lappas Silver): a goldsmith shop founded in 1887 in Argentina by Alcibiades Lappas of Greek origin.
In 2019, in Argentina took place “the Art Deco world congress”, in which we participated as hosts invited by Geo Darder, founder of the Copperbridge – Foundation, in which prominent people from all over the world attended to learn about Art Deco in Argentina.
Argentina currently has more than 100 Art Deco buildings and another 90 Art Nouveau buildings throughout the city of Buenos Aires.
Argentina is a country that has not been involved in many wars, which is why it has been a refuge for works of art and antiques from different periods of time, unlike European countries. That is way many collectors, museums and antique dealers from all over the world visit it, you should not miss the opportunity to visit this great country.

Laura Guevara Kjuder, architect. See less