It could well be a landmark in Buenos Aires. The white large building in the middle of avenue 9 de Julio or the Evita building in the city. But what is that building and why does Evita show off the large white facade? But actually it was the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Works, now the Ministry of Health is located there.

Read more: secret in the sky, The villa on 9 de Julio.

The Evita building on 9 de Julio

You see it from far away. The building in the middle of the widest avenue in Argentina, 9 de Julio. A white 93-meter high building changed the landscape of Buenos Aires. Link to location.

It is build in 1936 but not much time later it became clear that the building was constructed on a future express highway which later became avenue 9 de Julio. There were actually plans to demolish the new building in favor of the new avenue. Even the idea was there to remove the ground floor and let cars drive under the building through. But none of those things happened. So, it became the second landmark on the widest avenue in town.

Another fact, the building is the only one with the address “9 de Julio” as all the other buildings parallel with Av. 9 de Julio have another street name.

Ministerio de Salud Evita Buenos Aires
The building in 1937. Av. 9 de Julio didn’t exist yet. Foto “Bauer” – “Revista de Arquitectura”.

There was Evita!

In 2011 the Kirchner government installed two huge steel images of Eva Perón. Towards Constitución train station you see a smiling Evita and towards the Obelisco (North side) you see a militant Eva Perón holding a microphone. Fun fact: some people thought that Evita was eating a hamburger instead of holding a microphone :-D.

The image on the North side has the most symbolic value as it is an image from her during het balcony announcement in August 1951.

Smiling Eva Perón - 9 de Julio

Protest against corruption

On the East side of the building – you will need to walk in the middle part of 9 de Julio – you see two Art Deco figures. One of them is holding  suitcase with money in it and the other has an open hand behind the back to receive the suitcase. They said to me that is a symbol for the corruption in the country. But the meaning of those two figures is never officially confirmed.

Art Deco figures Building Buenos Aires 9 de Julio

Sorry, I couldn’t resist

Eating a hamburger on 9 de Julio

Author

My roots in Buenos Aires started as a tourist. After some great adventures in Argentina, I moved in 2017 to the metropolitan city of Buenos Aires. I felt a need for correct and honest information for tourists. That's why I love to write to you. Sharing my discoveries in Buenos Aires. I hope you enjoy the city as much as I do! Buenos Aires ❤️

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Secrets of Buenos Aires