Just Chillaxing: Palace of Running Waters

Oh hi! God alive!! I was practically beside myself when I saw the full monty of this building, how amazing! It had it all...and it is only the 'Palace of Running Waters'.... A water works building, lol!

Built in 1884 at a time before Buenos Aires had achieved a cosmopolitan boom, but had survived the first yellow fever out break and was on the up. A decision was made by the government to invest in a bigger water supply for the 'Great Village'. The water supply in the time of 1871 was insufficient and made worse by the development and use of domestic water cisterns.

The frontage...immense, grand and opulent.

In 1884 the Goverment appoved the stonehouse project to resite and build a much bigger sanitary works to serve Buenos Aires. The government also requested that the building be 'striking in appearance'. This was not unreasonable at a time of socio-economic growth, where schools, hospitals, prisons, parks and houses of government were being built amidst total faith in the countries growing economy. This project was very typical of the 1800´s .

The building is adorned with various ceramic murals and shields...made by Royal Doulton!

Satin matt grey-blue horizontal brick tiles mixed with ornate 3D pieces. Pure ceramic sex!

Bull's eye windows with a complete 3D ceramic edge.

At this time Buenos Aires had a developing infastructue, European immigration, British railroads and influences of French culture. By the end of the century Buenos Aires was like many European cities with 'modern' buildings, avenues and warehouses, many of them being built with materials and techniques that had been imported from the places of origin.

The Palace project was carried out by by the Swedish engineer Carlos A. B. Nystromer, Norwegian architect Olaf Boyle and the British company Parsons and Bateman. Today this building remains one of the most magnificent examples of arcitecture in Buenos Aires.

Inside was a museum with some of the original and suggested feature pieces on display. The eclectic building, formally related to the French architecture of the Second Empire and certain Central-European models such as the Palace of justices of Amberes, is ornated by more than 300,000 terracotta pieces in multiple shapes and colours made by British Royal Doulton!

This was such a treat to see, having visited and worked with the Royal Doulton factory in Stoke-on-Trent.

Large architectural accents and their original drawings were on display.

Large two piece 'tile' sections.

'The Terracotta Contract' sent to Royal Doulton, detailing all the terracotta embelishments to be made, and the lower and upper tile and ceramic 3D work...a massive job.

The building didn't get underway untill 1887 and was not completed untill 1894, when a formal inaugeration ceremony took place. At this time the Avenida de Mayo had been constructed and linked major buildings in the capital across one axis.

A display of taps, examples and samples in complete, some cut to cross-section.

British made ceramic cast pipes with a high fire saltglazing finish.

Whilst we were looking around the well annotated museum we got roped into a tour, this was sadly in Spanish only...but gave us some interesting views of the building. Below is the internal courtyard, viewed from one of the bull's eye windows.

The main purpose of the building, despite its outside grandure, was to house 12 metal tanks capable of storing 72,000 tons of drinking water. These were originally located in the upper three floors. These were dismantled in 1915, when another large stonehouse was built in Caballito.

Oh hi! You have surprised me at my new office job! I loved the original furnishings that were part of the museum...particularly the roll down covers to the cabinets and the masses of stacked draws. Love them!