It is not just about architecture. Buenos Aires – the “European” city of South America

Buenos Aires at the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries was a remarkable city, and its image was changing very quickly. It has had a distinctly “European” character, which is strongly present today. “Europeanisation” of the metropolis can be observed in urban planning of the city, organization of the streets and squares, in architectural robes of individual buildings, which was connected both with generally prevailing fashion, artistic trends, and the artists’ origin, as well as the socio-political changes throughout the country. Various nationalities contributed to creation of the image of cultural Buenos Aires: French, Italians, British, Belgians, Scandinavians, and (to a lesser extent) Poles. The city has been compared to the “Promised Land”, others have described it as the hell on earth. Its fame has continued to this day. The article aims at showing Buenos Aires in the late 19^th century and the first half of the 20^th century, presenting its architecture by discussing some of the most characteristic buildings and conveying the atmosphere of decadence, which it has been famous for.