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Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires. A concept store in a building of 1927 in Palermo Chico district

A restaurant, cocktail bar, Ampersand publishing house, bookstore, and flower shop. Housed in a rationalist villa belonging to Argentina’s heritage: under the creative direction of Guadalupe García Mosqueda

Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires

Inaugurated in 2014, Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires is a multi-purpose cultural space. It hosts a restaurant, cocktail bar, publishing house, bookstore, and flower shop. Residencia Bollini Roca houses Casa Cavia, constructed in 1927 and renovated by architecture studio KallosTurin in the style of the Belle Époque. It belongs to the district of Palermo Chico, an area whose origins date back to 1836; when Juan Manuel de Rosas— a politician, governor of Buenos Aires, and military leader—bought acres of land to construct his residence. In 1912, Argentine-French architect Carlos Thays developed an urban project for the residential part of the property.

In 2016, Juliana Awada, wife of then-President Mauricio Macri, welcomed US First Lady Michelle Obama to Buenos Aires. The two turned the planned fifteen minutes of exchange into a thirty-five minute conversation. They were exploring their roles in the public and political eye. Instead of an embassy or governmental venue, Awada had chosen to meet her foreign guest and counterpart at Casa Cavia.

Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires: the district of Palermo Chico

The architecture of Palermo Chico is characterized by the curve and diagonal layout of its streets as well as its oval piazzas which interrupt the grid typical of cities developed in the colonial era. The urban planner imagined a residential neighborhood for the aristocracy of the Argentine capital: a district dotted with greenery and native vegetation. The first villas with gardens were constructed in the Neoclassical style. To function as embassies they have been repurposed.

The large green swath of parks and gardens known as Parque Tres de Febrero is modelled after Paris’ Bois de Boulogne and London’s Hyde Park. During the twentieth century, the landscape of the neighborhood was enriched by modern buildings of historical importance. This includes the Victoria Ocampo Villa designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo, and avantgarde structures such as the recently-constructed Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA).

The architecture of Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires

Norwegian architect Alejandro Christophersen conceived Casa Cavia. Christophersen is the son of a diplomat. He was awarded the commission for a villa that an aristocrat previously wanted to give to his wife. The building was listed as Residencia Bollini Roca, with a façade facing Plaza Alemania. In accordance with his philosophy, Christophersen utilized various historic references to serve his rationalist aesthetic. This resulted in a building that was the epitome of the spirit of the twentieth century.

Declared as a landmark of Buenos Aires’ heritage in 2011, is the villa. British-American studio KallosTurin restored it in 2014. The studio preserved the building’s original context, while inserting more contemporary elements. The restoration is a tribute to the villas seen in Paris and Buenos Aires during the Twenties and Thirties. The circular shape of its garden features a raised pool at its center, reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape.

Today, a series of platforms connects the original structure to the storefront at the back of the garden, finished with the same materials as those used in the original restoration, but reimagined with a modern touch. Composed of four separate rooms is the cafe. This includes; the entryway, transformed into a space for meetings and exhibitions; the reception, which offers a glimpse into a garden; the salon and the bookstore, reminiscent of a classical reading room. The top floor is occupied by the headquarters of the publishing house.

Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires’ creative director

The creative director of Casa Cavia is Guadalupe Garcìa Mosqueda. She uses her training and experience as a documentary filmmaker to direct the operations. This includes lighting, staff uniforms, and every detail of the dining table — from flatware to plaiting — weaving each element into a story told through gastronomy. Chef Julieta Caruso has conceived of a menu that mixes flavors of Asia, Europe, and Argentina. She cites references from literature and cinema. A chocolate cake topped with dulce de leche ice cream and cacao beans, alludes to Danny DeVito’s classic Matilda. The lamb, sizzled at a low temperature, aromatic herbs, and quinoa, draws inspiration from Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs.

Books at Casa Cavia: Ampersand publishing house

Available in the bookstore are volumes by the publishing house Ampersand (the logogram representing the Latin conjugation “et”), which is managed by Garcìa Mosqueda’s mother, editor-in-chief Ana Mosqueda. The publishing house defines itself as a platform for the production of knowledge, publishing essays that deal with visual culture, fashion, philosophy, and literary theory. Ampersand is a cultural space located on the top floor of Casa Cavia, where the publication launches events and organizes specialized courses in writing and editing. The last section of Casa Cavia is managed by floral designer Camila Gassiebavle. She is the founder of Blumm Flower Co. Studio and believer in the integration of plants into visual arts, design, and landscape.

Casa Cavia

Cavia 2985, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Matteo Canetta

The writer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article.

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