Alejo Martínez, one of the main builders of Argentine modernity, turned the city of Concordia into a reference of the South American modernist movement. His extensive work on houses, such as Casa Péndola Díaz from 1925, Casa Marcone from 1928, or Casa Camaño from 1930, "changed the typology of the 'chorizo' house to compact housing, where straight volumes stand out, staggered from each other, and with terraces".
These words can be found in the introduction of 'Modern Movement in Concordia: Catalog of Alejo Martínez's Works', a text by Maria Alejandra Bruno, Exequiel Hernan Cáseres, and Jorge Daniel Sota, who have taken the task of compiling and presenting in detail his journey through the city.
Although Alejo Martínez was born in Montevideo, Uruguay on October 19th, 1897, he completed his studies at the School of Architecture of the University of Buenos Aires in 1921, alongside others such as Alberto Presbich and Ernesto Vautier. In the following years, he traveled through Europe, immersing himself in the new ideas of modern architecture. From 1924 to 1931, he found in Concordia the opportunity to experiment with this movement through single-family homes.
During the long period between 1930 and 1945, it was common for architectural magazines such as Revista de Arquitectura, Nuestra Arquitectura, and Casas y Jardines to frequently publish his works, dedicating him significant space comparable in size to that of only a few architects of the time," points out Summa+ magazine No. 113 in "The Modern Experience in Argentina: The Work of Alejo Martinez (h).
Today, the city of Concordia is named as the "Vanguard City of Modernity", a result of the work of architect Alejo Martínez, who left a significant legacy by exposing the emerging Modern Movement in Argentina.
Sources:
- Giménez, G. C. & Navarro, Á. M. (2011, February). La experiencia moderna en la Argentina: la obra de Alejo Martinez (h). Summa+, 113, 80-83
- Moderna Buenos Aires. Martínez (h), Alejo. Access: modernabuenosaires.org/arquitectos/alejo-martinez-h
- Bruno, M. Alejandra. Cáseres; Exequiel Hernan; Sota, Jorge Daniel. Movimiento moderno en Concordia: catálogo de obras Alejo Martínez. Access: ria.utn.edu.ar/handle/20.500.12272/4215
