The Ministry of Public Works Building (), now known as the Ministry of Health Building () is a public building in the rationalist style located on the intersection of

9 de Julio Avenue Avenida 9 de Julio () is a major thoroughfare in the city centre of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its name honors Argentina's Independence Day, July 9, 1816. The avenue runs around to the west of the Río de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro dis ...

and Belgrano Avenue, in the

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

of Monserrat, in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. It is currently used by the Argentine Ministry of Health. On both the north and south walls, there are large steel portraits of María Eva Duarte de Perón, better known as Evita Perón. Her official state portrait faces the south while the image to the north depicts her giving a passionate speech. The installations were created by the Argentinian artist Alejandro Marmo (known mononymously as ''Marmo'') in 2011. Built from 1932 to 1935, the building was designed by Belgrano Alberto Blanco and originally housed the offices of the

Ministry of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

, which gives it its first and most commonly used name. Its construction was originally suggested by the architect José Hortal to the then Minister of Public Works Manuel Alvarado. The building actually preceded the construction of the 9 de Julio Avenue as it is known today by several years. In 1991, during the presidency of

Carlos Saúl Menem Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) served as the 50th president of Argentina for ten years, from 1989 to 1999. He identified as Peronist, serving as President of the Justicialist Party for 13 years (from 1990 to 2001 and agai ...

, the Ministry of Public Works was dissolved and the building was made the new headquarters of the Ministry of Health and

Social Action In sociology, social action, also known as Weberian social action, is an act which takes into account the actions and reactions of individuals (or ' agents'). According to Max Weber, "Action is 'social' insofar as its subjective meaning takes acc ...

; the two portfolios were separated in later years, but the building still houses both ministries, while the newly restored Public Works ministry is headquartered in the Palace of the Treasury, facing

Plaza de Mayo The Plaza de Mayo (, ; ) is a city square and the main foundational site of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was formed in 1884 after the demolition of the Recova building, unifying the city's Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Armas, by that time known as ''Pl ...

Gallery

File:MOP desde el oeste.jpg, View from the west File:2019 Buenos Aires - Ministerio de Obras Públicas.jpg, View in 2019 File:Ministry-of-Public-Works-Building Buenos-Aires.jpg, View in 2014 File:Ministerio de Obras Públicas 1937.JPG, Aerial view c.1937 File:CABA - Monserrat - Edificio del ex Ministerio de Obras.jpg, Close up of Eva Perón image

References

Government buildings in Argentina National Historic Monuments of Argentina Buildings and structures completed in 1936 1936 establishments in Argentina Eva Perón {{Argentina-struct-stub