Obelisco de Buenos Aires

부에노스아이레스 오벨리스코

The Obelisco de Buenos Aires is a tall white obelisk in the Plaza de la República, where Corrientes Avenue crosses Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is 67.5 metres tall and made of reinforced concrete. It was put up in 1936 to celebrate 400 years since the first founding of the city.

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At a glance

Country: Argentina
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Built: 1936
Height: 68 m
Type: Monument

Quick answers

Where is Obelisco de Buenos Aires?

Obelisco de Buenos Aires is in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

When was Obelisco de Buenos Aires built?

Obelisco de Buenos Aires was built in 1936.

How tall is Obelisco de Buenos Aires?

Obelisco de Buenos Aires is about 68 m tall.

An obelisk marking the city's 400th anniversary, standing at the heart of Avenida 9 de Julio.

It is famous as the symbol of Buenos Aires and a national historic monument. Crowds gather around it to celebrate big events. The obelisk is built in an Egyptian style but with a plain, modern design, and it was finished in only 31 days.

How it was built

Construction began on 20 March 1936 and finished on 23 May. The architect was Alberto Prebisch, an important figure of Argentine modernism. A German-led group of companies built it in 31 days with 157 workers, using fast-hardening cement poured in 2 metre sections. It used 680 cubic metres of concrete and cost 200,000 pesos. It has one door on the west side and a straight stair of 206 steps to four small windows at the top.

A monument that nearly disappeared

In 1939 the city council voted to demolish the obelisk, giving economic, aesthetic and safety reasons, but the mayor vetoed the order and the monument stayed. It stands where a church of St Nicholas of Bari once stood, where the Argentine flag was first officially raised in Buenos Aires in 1812. After pieces of the stone covering fell off in 1938, the cladding was replaced in 1943 with polished cement.