Antecedents of remodeling of Buenos Aires City
Impacts on Puerto Madero

1923 - 1925 : Plan of the Aesthethic Building Commission

During the mayorship of Carlos M. Noel, it was commended to an "Aesthethic Building Commission" the "Organic Project for the Urbanization of the City" and the "Regulator Plan of Reform of the Federal Capitol". This plan was the first scale organic recapitulation in Buenos Aires City. Among the prevailing urban criteria, a strong empasis was put on aesthethics, in a way that went beyond the merely formal, to represent the cultural impulses of modernity.

In the 1st article of their foundings, they mention that "the Plan must synthetize the total expression of the aesthethic sense that the social and intelectual progress of the Nation aspires". In its 4th article, it refers "that beauty, not being only a compliment for the senses but also contributing to the spiritual development of our people, strenghtening at the same time the moral qualities in the people, therefore fostering it must be one of the concerns of the City Hall".

Among the proposals of the plan the most important are:

· Grouping of administrative buildings to create monumental centers.
· Consolidation of the center of the new quartiers, installing branches of public buildings.
· Continuous system of avenues with trees connecting important urban spaces.
· A total of 1.171 hectares of green areas.
· In its 3rd point it proposed to revitalize the South Quartier, "which remain unchanged as compared to the evolution of the other quartiers". Giving new value to Parque Lezama, stimulating the installing of important houses of studies and culture, and restoring the historic street Defensa.
· Creation of a big Waterfront Avenue, from Puerto Nuevo to the north, until the city limit. This avenue will have a wide line of parks, creating residential areas, paralell along the Avenue.
· Particular project to high rank the South Waterfront area, continueing the Municipal Beach with an avenue running parallel to the river until the Yacht Club Argentino, being the French landscape architect J. C. N. Forestier in charge.

By those days the idea of recovering the coastal area was considered. In its 1st point, the program mentioned: "There is nothing more urgent, within the general reforms, that striving to recover in the current conditions of the city and its orientation, the advantages given by its privileged vicinity to the River Plate estuary".

Regarding the area of Puerto Madero it proposed:

· The continuation of the gardens in front of the Government House down to the port docks.
· To eliminate the warehouses that were paralell to the river, and replacing them by buildings going perpendicular to the port.
· To create a monumental square, as a strong landmark of one of the city entrances.

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