Strolling about Microcentro

Well, the heat and humidity continue here. It is in the high 20s with extraordinary damp, like a sauna outside, but no reason not to start looking around. Where to go, however, was dictated by a need for airconditioning, so I hopped on the Subte (subway) only two blocks from my flat, and headed up to the Microcentro, downtown, a few stops away. I got off at the Plaza San Martin, with broad walkways overlooking a gentle slope down to the waterfront of the River Plata:

 

You can't actually see the buildings beyond the promenade, however, because a combination of smog and fog has rolled in from the port, obscuring the view. A short walk down the pedestrian shopping street of Florida took me to the Galleria Pacificos, the upscale shopping mall located in the business district. It is a bit disconcerting to know that malls are the same everywhere - had I been so inclined, I could have spent the day shopping Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, etc. But I sought out the Galleria for more esoteric interests, namely the architecture (and the air conditioning). The building itself dates from the early 1890s, used to be the railway headquarters, and occupies a full city block. It was only converted into a mall however, in 1992. Inside, the building is split into four quarters, with the laneways between these quarters turned into three-storey atriums. In the centre, where they all meet, is an ornate cupola that was filled with neo-classical murals during a 1945 remodel. They are ostensibly part of the New Realism movement, but would seem to be more influenced by classical European muralists than the Mexican muralists credited. Here is one view of a panel of one mural (the angle is a bit off because I am tipping the camera over a Clinique boutique sign):

 

Further down Florida, I happened upon my first example of the BA artform known as filete - an ornate handpainted signage rooted in the Sicilian immigration of the early 20th century. This sign marked the street address of a grocery store:

 

I expect to see a great deal more of this fantastic art form as I meander around San Telmo tomorrow.