The Casa Nacional del Bicentenario ("National Bicentennial House") is a cultural center and museum located in the Recoleta section of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Overview

The proposal for the center as such was developed by the office of the Secretary of Culture during the administration of President

Néstor Kirchner Néstor Carlos Kirchner (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, Governor of Santa Cruz Province from 1991 to 2003, Secretary General of UNASUR and ...

, led at the time by José Nun. Nun obtained a grant from the Spanish Embassy of € 300,000 toward the project,''Clarín'': La orientación de la Ciudad en materia cultural está indefinida
and work began in 2006 to remodel the eclecticist

French baroque French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

building designated for the purpose. The apartment building, completed in 1913, was purchased by the former state water and sanitation concern, OSN, in 1937 for use as housing for its administrative employees in Buenos Aires.''Clarín'': Abre la Casa del Bicentenario
Following OSN's privatization, the building was transferred the National Culture Secretariat in 1996, and until 2001, was slated to house the National Museum of

Asian Art The history of Asian art includes a vast range of arts from various cultures, regions, and religions across the continent of Asia. The major regions of Asia include Central, East, South, Southeast, and West Asia. Central Asian art primarily c ...

(which, since 1965, has occupied the bottom floor of the

National Museum of Decorative Arts The National Museum of Decorative Arts is an art museum in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina. History The museum has its origins in a marriage in 1897 between two prominent members of turn-of-the-century Argentine high society: Matías Errazúri ...

). The building was made part of a series of projects to honor the

Bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...

of the

May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...

of 1810, and following refurbishment works and installations costing around US$1.7 million, was formally inaugurated as the National Bicentennial House by President

Cristina Kirchner Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess *Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American s ...

on March 16, 2010. Located on 985 Riobamba Street, one block west of upscale

Callao Avenue Callao Avenue ( es, Avenida Callao) is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Overview Mayor Torcuato de Alvear, inspired by the urban redevelopment works in Paris at the direction of Baron Haussmann, drew up master p ...

, the 3,500 m² (38,000 ft²) center includes a historical library, a continuous video display, ''Muchas voces, una historia. Argentina 1810–2010'' (''Many Voices, One Story''), an open-air theatre, temporary exhibit halls, digitalized archives, and a production studies for

Encuentro Encuentro ( en, "Encounter") is an Argentine television channel owned and operated by the Argentine Ministry of Education. It began broadcasting in 2007 through cable television operators in the country. It airs as an independent channel and al ...

, an educational television channel operated by Argentine Public Television.''Página/12'': Cultura con espejo retrovisor
The center's maiden exhibit, ''Mujeres. 1810–2010'', was dedicated to the historical role of

women in Argentina The status of women in Argentina has changed significantly following the return of democracy in 1954; and they have attained a relatively high level of equality. In the Global Gender Gap Report prepared by the World Economic Forum in 2009, Arg ...

References

External links

Casa del Bicentenario
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casa Nacional del Bicentenario Culture in Buenos Aires Museums in Buenos Aires Museums established in 2010 Buildings and structures completed in 1913 2010 establishments in Argentina History museums in Argentina