Microbarrio Monseñor Espinosa, 1923
• Barracas
(Perdriel & California)
Contrasting greatly with the previous complex, these semi-detached chalets are like a little piece of paradise. Also built with fundraising money from the Unión Popular Católica Argentina, land was donated by the Pereyra Iraola & Herrera Vega families. Gardens cut through 60 units in a cross shape, & note that this is not the size of a city block… but it’s about half of an overly large block. In fact, the odd shape is due to following the diagonal line of the existing layout. Designed by Carlos Cucullu, it has been wonderfully maintained & I would love to live there.
Photos below from the inauguration of this housing project show just how undeveloped the neighborhood of Barracas was 100 years ago. Even the bird’s eye view from 1940 doesn’t show much around this microbarrio other than a few factories:
Inaugural photos used with permission of the Archivo General de la Nación.
[...] Another fave is the 1923 Barrio Monseñor Espinosa which was part of a public housing program. More about this beautiful spot at my other blog, Housing for the Masses: [...]