Alejandro Bustillo

Alejandro Bustillo (1889-1982) was an Argentine painter and architect who left his mark in various tourist destinations in Argentina, especially in the Andean region of the Patagonia.

Born in Buenos Aires on 18 May 1889, son of María Luisa Madero and Dr. José María Bustillo, he completed his secondary school studies in Otto Krause Technical School. He later entered the School of Architecture in the University of Buenos Aires and graduated from there as an architect in 1914.

He obtained his first professional experience working on the design of estancias, including one for his own family, Estancia "La Primavera" in 1918. Two years later he returned to Buenos Aires. After a visit to Paris, Bustillo undertook two major projects for Carlos Tornquist in Buenos Aires, by designing the family’s house (now the Belgium Embassy) in 1923, and the Tornquist Bank (now the Credit Lyonais Bank) in 1928. From 1924 until 1937 he consolidated his career with a large number of works including commercial buildings, private houses and rental property. In 1932 he began the transformation of an old pumping station in Libertador Avenue, Buenos Aires, into the new headquarters for the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. In 1935 he worked for the governor of the Misiones Province on the design of the governor’s residence, San Martín Square, the municipal park, the police station and the surroundings of the Jesuit ruins of San Ignacio.

In 1938 he began some of his most important works by winning the competition for the design of the Llao Llao Hotel in San Carlos de Bariloche, an important tourist centre. The building, made almost entirely of wood, was destroyed by fire soon after its completion in 1939 and a year later Bustillo built a new hotel out of reinforced concrete and stone. In 1939, another one of his works, the Mar del Plata Casino was opened and he started on the design of the building for the headquarters of the Banco Nacional de Buenos Aires which was finally opened in 1944. In 1946 he completed the Hotel Provincial and other works of urbanization in Mar del Plata.

His last works began in 1977 and he died in Buenos Aires on 3 November 1982 at the age of 93 having completed over 250 projects.

References

Alberto Bellucci, The Bariloche Style, J. Decorative & Propaganda Arts, Argentine Theme Issue, 1992.,
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