Listen to the tale of Barrio Savio. It is more than just buildings. It is a testament to a vision. A vision of urban planning and community.
Barrio Savio in Villa Lugano is the largest housing complex in Buenos Aires. It stands as a significant example of 20th-century urban development. It shows how planners tried to solve housing problems.
Back in 1968, the seeds of Barrio Savio were sown. The City Council planned an integrated urban center. It was part of a bigger plan to balance development in Buenos Aires. The Inter-American Development Bank helped fund the project. This financial help was very important.
Before Barrio Savio, this land was different. It was part of the Bañado de Flores. This meant wetlands with swamps and lagoons. The area was transformed through drainage. This huge effort turned unusable land into a place for homes.
The first stage finished in December 1970 with 1,000 homes. By 1973, Barrio Savio had 118 buildings. These buildings are the long blocks known as monoblocks. Each one has fourteen floors. Each floor has four apartments.
The design of Barrio Savio considered the needs of its residents. The ground floors were left open for easy movement. Shops were built on the second story. They could be reached by stairs to elevated walkways. There were also four primary schools with kindergartens.
Barrio Savio included important community facilities. A civic center housed a supermarket. There was a post office and a justice of the peace. Residents also had access to medical care. There was a plaza, church and community center. A sports club and daycare were present too. These were all connected by bridges above the main avenue.
The complex got its official name from General Manuel N. Savio. He was called the father of the national steel industry. This name honored his contribution to Argentina.
Later, Savio III was added in the late 1970s. This part included eleven towers. Each tower had a ground floor plus twenty-two stories. They had 136 apartments each. These new buildings had improvements. Kitchens and dining rooms were bigger. Balconies were deeper. Ground floor apartments had private patios.
Today, Barrio Savio is home to about 50,000 people. The streets were first numbered. Later, they received official names. These names honored people and events important to Argentina.
The Aeroclub Argentino once had its first airfield here in 1910. This shows how the area has changed over time. The airfield moved in 1934.
The history of Barrio Savio is linked to Villa Lugano. Villa Lugano was founded in 1908 by Josè Ferdinando Francisco Soldati. He named it after his hometown of Lugano in Switzerland.
Barrio Savio is more than just buildings. It represents urban planning. It shows community development. It is a place where thousands of people live. They live and make their own history within its walls.