Palais de Glace

The Palais de Glace is a former figure skating hall in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. It was designed after the model of the Palais des Glaces in Paris by JL Ruiz Basadre and inaugurated in 1911. It is located on Calle Posadas 1725 in the Recoleta district. The Palais de Glace is provided as a Historical Monument under monument protection.

Overview

In the central area of the building, the circular ice rink is housed, which is surrounded by lodges and rooms for parties and meetings. The cooling system was housed in the basement, on the first floor there were a balcony, a café and an organ. The building has a domed roof with a large skylight, which provided for natural light on the ice surface below.

As the popularity of skating decreased and the Tango Argentino was socially accepted, the Palais de Glace was converted into a dance hall. Many well-known tango orchestras and dancers have performed there, but the building fell gradually in the late 1920s and 1931, it was subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Justice.

The building was then used as the Dirección Nacional de Bellas Artes and 1932-1954 was here the annual Salón Nacional de Bellas Artes ( National Fine Arts Exhibition ) organized. For this purpose, the palace was rebuilt in 1931 by Alejandro Bustillo in 1934 originated inside three large murals. 1935, the facade was modernized.

Between 1954 and 1960 the building was used by the TV station Canal 7 as a studio. Since 1960, various exhibitions and concerts are held here, including the Salón Nacional again.