De la arquitectura colonial a la arquitectura contemporánea: otra mirada sobre la figura de Mario Buschiazo

Abstract

Mario José Buschiazzo is usually recognized in the literature for his contribution not only to Argentinean, but also to Latin-American history of architecture. His work as an architectural restorer and, later, as a researcher and promoter of studies related to the history of American architecture –mainly colonial architecture– has left a mark in the historiographical field. Nowadays, Buschiazzo is an essential reference when thinking about colonial architecture. However, his trajectory suggests a profile that has little in common with his interests for colonial architecture: his relationship with contemporary American architecture. This relationship involves multiple approaches that are largely related with architecture in the United States. This article studies Buschiazzo’s relationship with contemporary American architecture, mainly between 1955 (when the Instituto de Arte Americano e Investigaciones Estéticas launches the “Arquitectos Americanos Contemporáneos” collection) and 1970 (the year of his death), with the objective of constructing a richer and more complex image of the architect than that obtained only through his studies about colonial architecture or his work as an architectural restorer.