The Hub

The Hub, located in one of the most upscale blocks in Buenos Aires, is a new hotel I want to recommend, cause I love it! and I think you will too.

Need a break? go rest and feel like a tourist, relax and breathe. 


 Images, courtesy of the HUB.

film & architecture

The other day I saw "El Hombre de al lado" (English: The Man Next Door) a very good Argentinian film if you ask me. The entire movie takes place in this location (seen on the photos) "Casa Curutchet" is the only house Le Corbusier* built in South America. It's located in La Plata, capital city of the province of Buenos Aires. Do you like it?




 *Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), was an architect, designer, urbanist, and writer, famous for being one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930. His career spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout Europe, India and America. He was a pioneer in studies of modern high design and was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities.

Containers, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay

Container Design Loft created by chef/entrepreneur Alejandra Dellepiane, is a new hotel I discovered in José Ignacio. It is entirely made of shipping containers.



















The containers are exactly that, containers! not much has been done with that... (as you can see) but the idea is original and it is the first hotel of its type in Uruguay. The interiors are retro and comfortable and I liked the exterior areas most of all... wooden decks and terraces as well as beautiful, flowered gardens seduced my eyes. Among other things, a grill and jacuzzi provide the perfect excuse to hang out there, before or after heading to the beach. All of this surrounded by a pine tree forest.

Solar panels provide hot water and all areas are lit with LED technology.


































Last photo: the concierge!

Ernesto Neto

Lacan - who made connections of Last Names and choices (it's complex, but interesting) would love this. Bill Gates -windows; Steve Jobs - Net - Neto. Anyways, just before leaving Buenos Aires I went to Faena Arts Center to see an exhibition by Brazilian artist, Ernesto Neto. The installation invites us to interact with it in a playful way. First step is taking your shoes off and going into the heart of this work: a labyrinth of colorful ropes, soft balls underneath your feet and a beautiful combination of colors that intensify the experience.

The spiderweb- like installation called "a bug suspended in the scene" takes up the entire exhibition space creating a special, intimate and soothing atmosphere.

It's a great feeling to walk suspended on air. Hope you like it.

Aime Paine 1169, C1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Barcelona!

I heart El Xampanyet












































































































































































































































The best part of a journey is the people you meet along the way. And the food.

Photo above is brunch at PICNIC

home sweet home

Like many people, I have two homes in Buenos Aires and I love them both. I spend much time looking at interior design and architecture magazines, always in search of new trends in decor, furniture, wallpaper, textiles for walls, textiles for curtains, room decor for children, etc. I like giving my homes a "refresh" every now and then. Moving things around, hanging something new on my wall.

Often, when I flip through the pages of magazines, there is something that distracts my attention from the content that I'm interested in and that is how some pictures portray people's homes in such incredible order. Everything is always in it's place, everything looks so perfect, I sometimes wonder how they do it.

Quite frequently I visit people that live in houses like the ones portrayed in magazines. I think mine looked like that at some point, but that changed once I had kids. Lately, what I see in magazines, I see in real life: order and perfection. These magazine- like, family houses are so immaculate. One has to celebrate the ability some people have to have fun and keep such order.

I relate the word home to warmth and a little chaos, be it because you are single and your house is a cozy place where you rest or hang out with friends after a long day of work, because you have just moved in with someone you are learning about and developing close ties to, because you are raising a family and your house is full of children and noise, or because your children have grown up and left your house which now holds a lot of memories. For others, clean and neat better describe the idea of a cool, stylish home. Whichever way, the important thing is that you enjoy and live your house fully! no?

What about you? is your house orderly? a bit messy? in between? do you spend much time in your house? which is your favorite place in the house?




Post by Valeria Mendez Cañas
Photos: Mich

Figuring out Palermo and what's new

Palermo is the biggest neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires (although some still argue it is Belgrano). Palermo is divided into so many areas that it is really confusing figuring out which is which.
There are many ways to see Palermo in the map of the city of Buenos Aires but let's just figure out the Northern area: Palermo Viejo. 

Palermo Viejo extends from Scalabrini Ortiz to Dorrego between Av. Santa Fe and Av. Cordoba. It used to be a typical, middle class neighborhood but it reinvented itself between 2002 and 2010 and has not stop growing since. The houses in the area got revamped, the neighborhood started to get a better look and a lot of restaurants and boutique hotels started springing up.

Palermo Hollywood is Palermo Viejo's neighbor to it's right, it stretches from J.B. Justo to Dorrego but it is North of Palermo Viejo, starting on Av. Cordoba. It has been baptized "Hollywood" because the offices of TV and movie producers and various TV channels are located there.

Palermo Soho is located to the left of J.B. Justo and starts on Av. Cordoba. It is the Buenos Aires version of NYC's Soho, full of clothing boutiques and big brands. It has home deco stores and is loaded with very nice restaurants and bars. It opens at noon but it starts getting noisier towards night time. There are a lot of boutique hotels in this area as well. 

Here is some funny information: the Real Estate boom in the area has been so big that the next door neighbors of Palermo, neighborhoods Chacarita and Villa Crespo have decided to call themselves Palermo Dead and Palermo Queens respectively. More TV producers have set up their offices in Chacarita, around the cemetery therefore restaurants and coffee shops started to get established bringing life to an area that used to be "dead"! Villa Crespo is a big stretch away from Palermo, whoever thought of the name was right! Palermo Queens! getting there is like traveling from NYC into Queens. This area is known for it's outlet stores, mainly.

Hope this helps you figure out the Northern part of Palermo, and here are just two new restaurants that we love in the area:


Unik - Soler St. 5132















Owned by an Argentinean architect who has lived in Paris and Shangai, Unik offers an interesting experience of sophisticated and original dishes produced by Fernando Hara, disciple of Francis Malmann. The atmosphere is hip, colorful and kind of 70's




Sipan - Uriarte 1648



































Peruvian - Japanese cuisine. If you were a fan of the other Sipan located in the city's center, this one is even nicer! We love the Pulpo al Olivo and the ceviche of course.

Teatro Colón

If you have been to Buenos Aires, you must have noticed the incapacity
some Argentinians have when it comes to following rules. If you speak a little Spanish and have ever tried to understand the lyrics of at least, one tango song, you might have understood that the main character in the song has either gotten away with something or has beaten his opponent.He has done this by disrespecting rules, sometimes rules of honor, by cheating.

Tango songs and bad driving are typical of our culture. Take one second,
stand in any avenue corner, preferably by a policeman and observe how drivers
run yellow and red lights, drive on biking paths, or speed up when a pedestrian
is trying to cross the street.
Take note of the policeman, probably too busy texting messages on his cell phone or smoking a cigarette to catch drivers breaking the law.

While driving around town looking at the beautiful European architecture
the city is famed for, you will be intrigued by the magnificence of a
building that stands on Av. Cerrito and Viamonte: Teatro Colon, a jewel, not
only for its architecture but also for the art that is produced inside. The
theater reopened on 2010 after years of restoration work.

Unfortunately, it's not working at its fullest capacity because, just as
anything Argentinian, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, that operates it, and a great number of members of its orchestra (grouped as a union) cannot
reach an agreement regarding working conditions. As a result, the opera that
was to open the theater's season: György Ligetis "Le Grand Macabre" was
put on stage under the direction of Baldur Bröinniman in a non orchestral version consisting of two pianos and percussion.

If you have stayed long enough in Buenos Aires, you must have realized another
thing about us: the ability to get by with what's available. You must
have heard a very popular phrase: "Es lo que hay" meaning: "This is what there is." So for example, although Plácido Domingo was recently scheduled to perform at the Colón, due to a series of events, he was unable to do so, and performed at the Obelisk instead. It was still a wonderful experience enjoyed by everyone and people were extremely happy, and he was too. It was a most memorable event.

There are some issues with the theater, yes, but next time you visit Buenos Aires (or if you're here now), do try to go to the Teatro Colón. It's an experience you don't want to miss. There are many ways to get a good feel for it. I suggest that you try them all:
1) book a guided tour: this will give you a good feel of all the details that must come together to put on a performance. You will walk by rehearsal rooms, you will see the way costumes are made for every show, etc.
2) buy tickets to a performance, the best ones are on a program called
"Abono del Bicentenario" (it only occurs once a month).
3) buy seats on higher floors.

If you book ahead of time, you will get good seats that will combine the possibility of seeing and hearing the performance, otherwise you will be missing the view.

The acoustics, the architecture, and the art you will encounter will make you walk out of there having had a very nice time. If something goes wrong, as it did with Ligeti's opera, you still will have had an experience in itself. After all, this is Argentina (and there is what there is).

For performances and guided tours visit www.teatrocolon.org.ar


Guest post by Valeria Mendez Cañas.

Green Scene. Punta del Este, Uruguay

Calmness and pure bliss. Just minutes away from the chaotic city of Buenos Aires, a short flight from the local airport gets us to this beautiful villa in Punta del Este. Set on the quiet countryside, just a short walk from the beach.
The exterior beauty blends in with the refined interiors decorated with a love for simplicity and functionality. Hand-picked furnishings, unique details - such as a vintage, hair parlour bathroom chair, and warm colors combine magically to provide a peaceful setting with gorgeous views of the vast, green lands where the property sits.
The large swimming pool looks across the green fields and is a mirror to whispering trees.

For when you decide to take a well-deserved break. 

Pretty Space

A friend recently posted a photo of her parents commenting that they've been married for something like 35 years. I asked her to ask her parents: "what's the secret"? she got back to me a few days later and said: "they told me separate bathrooms" .  

Photographed: El Colibrí, La Teta y La Luna, Mio, Casa Calma

Vogue Living Mag in Argentina

I recently met Susan Westwood, Vogue Living's Senior editor, in Buenos Aires. She was interested in local interior designs, and visiting beautiful residences and restaurants, behind-the-scenes in Buenos Aires & surrounding areas. 
The story about Buenos Aires design will be featured in the May/June issue of VOGUE Living. Enjoy! xx

Special thanks! Julia and Marcelo