In a historic petit hotel in Recoleta, which belonged to Manuel Belgrano’s family, today there is a creative space and specialty coffee. They say that the house would have belonged to the “dear one” of one of the descendants of the creator of the Flag, a detail that arouses curiosity about its history.
In Arenales 2016in the heart of the Recoleta neighborhood, stands a four-story mansion that belonged to the direct descendants of Manuel Belgrano
The property was inaugurated in 1907in a Buenos Aires that looked towards Europe and built its identity between French moldings and marble patios.
At that time, patrician families built their residences with the seal of the Belle Époque with symmetrical facades, staircases of honor and granite mosaic floors brought from Italy. This petit hotel was no exception.
Historical records and oral testimonies indicate that it belonged to a branch of the Belgrano, descendants of the creator of the Flag.
Evil tongues say that the house would have belonged to the “dear one” of one of those descendants of the hero.since it has many similarities in its design and materials with another much larger mansion that, around the corner, today occupies a headquarters of the University of San Andrés.
Walking through the house, I found details that arouse curiosity such as doors that lead nowhere, stairs that lead to rooms of minimal size, perhaps conceived as storage rooms or simply spaces forgotten in time.
On the third floor there is a room so small that it is believed to have been one of the rooms where the servants slept. The bathrooms are also small. One of them remains original, with the bronze sink and porcelain fixtures on the towel rails.
Each discovery of this type reinforces the feeling that the house still keeps secrets and architectural decisions that are enigmatic today.
It is probably due to the double circulation typical of these mansions, designed so that the service personnel did not cross paths with the homeowners or their guests.
Another of the most striking features of this mansion is the narrow service staircase, which crosses the four floors and is barely more than half a meter wide. It is almost unimaginable how they managed to transport belongings and trays through such a small space. But in addition, those who work in the house today claim to have witnessed unusual phenomena such as doors that open and close by themselveswithout air currents or any apparent cause to justify it, and other strange movements of objects that defy all logical explanation
The little hotel
The small hotel preserves original mosaic floors, cedar carpentry and artisanal blacksmithing. The marble that covers the steps of the stairs reinforces the feeling of a design designed for efficiency and discretion.
Los wooden elevators originals as well as the chimney reveal how the house combined luxury and functionality. Then, on the ground floor where a cafeteria operates today, the carriages.
For much of the 20th century it was a family home, and later it housed a design atelier. Despite changes in use, the structure allows us to read a part of the urban history of Buenos Aires.
Beyond the legends (whether or not it was the sentimental refuge of a Belgrano), the building summarizes a time and a way of life. In those stairs, balconies and stained glass windows you can sense the spirit of a time in which Buenos Aires still thought of itself as a small Paris of the South.
New uses
In this petit hotel it works Station 392opened in August, which combines specialty coffee and digital projects.
The space was renovated to become a center dedicated to creativity, innovation and Argentine talent.
It is not just a gastronomic service but it is a place designed for meetings, exhibitions and collaborative work between professionals from different areas.
Specialty coffee, the central axis of the space, is distinguished by its quality, traceability and production process, offering a superior sensory experience to coffee lovers.
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