Palais de Glace facts for kids
The Palais de Glace is a beautiful building in the Recoleta area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was built in the Belle Époque style, which was popular in the early 1900s.
This historic building is located at 1430 Posadas street. It was inspired by the Palais des Glaces in Paris, France. The Palais de Glace was designed by J. L. Ruiz Basadre and first opened its doors in 1911.
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A Place for Ice Skating and Fun
When it first opened, the Palais de Glace was a popular ice skating rink and a social club. Imagine a big circular ice rink in the middle of the building! Around it, there were special boxes like in a theater, and rooms where people could gather and socialize.
The building had a special system in the basement to keep the ice frozen. On the first floor, there was a balcony, a cafe, and even an organ. The roof was shaped like a dome, with a large skylight in the center. This skylight let in natural light, making the ice rink bright and airy.
From Ice to Tango
After about ten years, ice skating became less popular. At the same time, tango dancing was becoming very famous. So, the Palais de Glace changed from an ice rink to a fancy dance hall.
This was a big deal for tango. Many famous tango orchestras and dancers performed here. The Palais de Glace helped make tango more accepted, even though some of the upper-class people didn't like it at first.
However, by the late 1920s, the venue started to decline. In 1931, the local government took over the building. They gave it to the Ministry of Education and Justice.
A Home for Art
From 1931 onwards, the Palais de Glace became a place for art. It housed the National Office of Fine Arts. The annual Salón Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Exhibition of Fine Arts) was held there every year from 1932 to 1954.
The architect and artist Alejandro Bustillo remodeled the inside of the building starting in 1931. He created exhibition rooms while still keeping the original design. In 1934, three large murals were painted on the inside walls. The outside of the building was also changed a lot in 1935.
Later Years and Today
In 1938, an exhibition of television equipment was held at the Palais de Glace. Between 1954 and 1960, the building was even used as a studio by a TV station called Canal Siete. During this time, the National Exhibition of Fine Arts was held in other places, like the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Since 1960, the Palais de Glace has once again been the main home for the Salón Nacional. It also hosts many other art exhibitions and musical events. In 2004, the building was officially declared a National Historic Monument. This means it's a very important building for Argentina's history and culture.
In 2012, the Konex Foundation in Argentina recognized the Palais de Glace for its important contribution to the Visual Arts in the country.
See also
In Spanish: Palais de Glace para niños
