Edificio Kavanagh

Buenos Aires


A feisty Irishwoman funded the construction of this handsome art deco–style apartment building, which was the tallest skyscraper in Latin America at the time of its construction in 1936. A local rumor claims that the heiress, vengeful toward another aristocratic family for scorning her daughter, built the structure that high to block light from entering the basilica where her rivals attended Mass every Sunday.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Buenos Aires attractions

1. Basílica de Santísimo Sacramento

0.04 MILES

In the shadow of the Kavanagh building is this French-style church built by the Anchorena family in 1916. Inside, check out the original tiled floor,…

2. Plaza San Martín

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French landscape architect Carlos Thays designed the leafy Plaza San Martín, which is surrounded by some of Buenos Aires’ most impressive public buildings…

3. Palacio Haedo

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On an odd triangular block at the corner of Florida and Santa Fe, the neo-Gothic Palacio Haedo was the mansion of the Haedo family at the turn of the 19th…

4. Monumento a los Caídos de Malvinas

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On the downhill side of Plaza San Martín you’ll see the Monumento a los Caídos de Malvinas, a memorial to the 649 soldiers who died in the Falklands War …

6. Museo de Armas

0.15 MILES

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7. Palacio Paz

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Once the private residence of José C Paz – founder of the newspaper La Prensa – this opulent, French-style palace (1909) is the city's grandest. Inside…

8. Palacio San Martín

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This impressive art nouveau mansion (1912) is actually three independent buildings around a courtyard. It was designed by Alejandro Christophersen for the…