History of the Kavanagh building

It was always known that Mrs. Corina Kavanagh, heir of a wealthy Irish stock family in Argentina, had to sold three estancias to build this excellent piece of architecture.

The building seems inspired in the New York skyscrapers, especially the Rockefeller Center, built in 1932. In this case also a sculptor has aided the team of Sanchez, Lagos y De la Torre, architects, to design this telescopic shape of a tower.

Also it looks as a naval prow if seen from the lower parts of Retiro.

This was the first apartment building with conditioned air, and, as a difference regarding the steel frame of the American Skyscrapers, is totally built in reinforced concrete, a bulidng techinique developed by the German companies as Geope ( Compañia General de Obras publicas).

Please tell us the story of Mrs. Kavanaugh's motive for constructing the building, Carlos --

Miss Corina Kavanagh was getting in love with Mr Aaron de Anchorena, son of one of the wealthiest ladies in the high society of Argentina. She built the Palacio Anchorena, which is now in Plaza San Martin and now is the official ceremonial building for the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

But also she donated all the money to build a lavishly built church, the Santisimo Sacramento church in San Martin Street, about 300 m from her home. She said, when she decided to built that church in 1916, that "she lived in a Palace and God also must have a Palace to dwell".

But Mrs de Anchorena did not like Miss Kavanagh because this young lady came from Irish inmigrants which grow rich very quickly.

( In Argentina Irish inmigrants had become rich and appreciated because they were almost "English" and also were Roman Catholics, so young rich ladiers were eager to marry them).

Mrs Anchorena thought that Miss Kavanagh was not enough raised in the country to became the wife of a real aristocrat like her son Aaron. And Miss Kavanagh was dismissed. Money, yes, but very new. New rich were not allowed to be considered into the High society.

But Miss Kavanagh intended to take vengeance of this outrage. Therefore he choosed a place just in front of the magnificent Holy Sacrament church, and built the Kavanagh building, as a huge wall to hide behind it the church built by Mrs. de Anchorena.

And she was very successful. The building is like a curtain that hides the church and also dwarfs it.

Indeed, is very difficult to see the church unless you are in the back side of the skyscraper.

Therefore, as the British say: tit for tat!

Anyway, we "porteños" who know the history, can appreciate both buildings as a part of our heritage.

Quote from Splinter

Great story Carlos, thanks for that.

Anyway, I see that Lanata isn't short of a few bob or two.

My command of English is not enough to understand what do you mean with "short of a few bob or two"

Please explain this.

Of course, Lanata is a new rich as well, and to live inside is the hidden desire of many new richs.

Our famous economy minister, Martinez de Hoz, lived there until his death. (But he was not at all a new rich, of course)

Quote from Splinter

Carlos

"Not short of a few bob or two" means someone isn't short of money, IE they're rich.

In England, a shilling used to be referred as a bob, so ten shillings was ten bob. This was before decimalisation of course, when our money became dull and boring.

Also, if someone was a bit weird you would say they were as "bent as a nine bob note" because a nine bob note didn't exist, only a ten bob note. (ten shilling note). This was usually reserved for what we used to call queers, but now of course they're called gays.

Glad you asked?

"... and if you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do ..."

Thank you Mr Splinter & Mr Larson. I suspected that this was the answer, but I never thought that a "bob" was money. It is like our "Mangos" or "Mosca" in BA jargon.

Also we say that someone is such a false like a tender of 3 pesos.

Quote from Carlos

Thank you Mr Splinter & Mr Larson. I suspected that this was the answer, but I never thought that a "bob" was money. It is like our "Mangos" or "Mosca" in BA jargon.

Also we say that someone is such a false like a tender of 3 pesos.

I wonder why pejorative slang about gay people so often contains currency references, e.g. "Queer as a three dollar bill?"

Anyway, perhaps we should now turn our thoughts to how we get Mr. Lanata to throw a party for the Argentinaexpats in his undoubtedly fabulous digs in the Kavanagh Building....

Quote from Rice

I wonder why pejorative slang about gay people so often contains currency references, e.g. "Queer as a three dollar bill?"

Anyway, perhaps we should now turn our thoughts to how we get Mr. Lanata to throw a party for the Argentinaexpats in his undoubtedly fabulous digs in the Kavanagh Building....

Tell him we’ve got video from Nisman’s apartment, and it shows Cristina pulling the trigger. We’ll tell him all about it right after dinner.

Quote from EJLarson

Tell him we’ve got video from Nisman’s apartment, and it shows Cristina pulling the trigger. We’ll tell him all about it right after dinner.

Do we need to employ a Royal Taster?

Quote from Rice

Do we need to employ a Royal Taster?

Not unless he invites Cristina, too, to get her opinion.

Then I’d say, be very careful.