Martha Levisman facts for kids
Martha Levisman de Clusellas (1933 – 13 June 2022) was a talented architect, archivist, and historian from Argentina. She was well-known for designing three buildings for the Antorchas Foundation in Buenos Aires. She also played a big part in developing the National Library in Buenos Aires.
In 1985, Martha finished the first Antorchas building. A writer named Roberto Segren noted how she changed an old, "decayed palace" into something new. This old building was in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
Contents
Biography
Martha Levisman studied architecture from 1952 to 1958. She attended the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Buenos Aires. During this time, some teachers still taught the older Beaux Arts style. However, others were starting to teach Modernism, which was a new way of designing buildings. Teachers like César Janello and Tomás Maldonado taught about modern design. Martha also learned a lot from lectures by Odilia Suárez and Enriqueta Méoli, who were interested in new trends.
She almost moved to Rosario to study at a new architecture school there. But she decided to stay in Buenos Aires after meeting Gerardo Clusellas (1929–73). Gerardo became her business partner, husband, and the father of her three sons.
Early Career and Teaching
From 1957, Martha began her career at the university. She worked with Janello and Wladimiro Acosta. From 1963 to 1966, she led practical projects for first-year students. Later, she worked with Mario Tempone.
When democracy returned to Argentina in 1984, Martha went back to the University of Buenos Aires. She became a lecturer in charge of cultural events until 1989. After that, she worked for the dean, doing research and organizing history exhibitions.
Work as an Archivist and Historian
Between 1998 and 2002, Martha Levisman was the Director of ARCA. This organization is Argentina's architectural archive center. She also served as ARCA's president. As an archivist, she helped organize historical documents for the Bustillo family.
Martha also researched architecture as a historian. For example, she studied the "Bariloche style" of building. She believed it was created by wealthy Argentine developers. They were inspired by ideas of "colonization, illusion, and fantasy."
Architectural Projects
As an architect, Martha was part of her husband's design firm. Some of her most important completed works include:
- The Antorchas Head Office, finished in 1985.
- The TAREA Foundation building, which she renovated in 1987.
- An addition to the Antorchas complex, completed in 1991. This new part housed a photograph gallery.
In 1989, Martha was asked to finish work on the National Library. This was a very big project. She had to redraw plans for the inside of the building because the original ones had been lost.
See also
In Spanish: Martha Levisman para niños
