Public architecture: the first state Bus Terminal for Mendoza (Argentina, 1969-1972)

Abstract

The architecture for transportation and mobility had, between the sixties and seventies, an intensive period of execution in Argentina, driven by a political context that advocated for development in all its forms. Innovative programs and technologies were used in a typology that posed challenges in resolution terms for the professionals of the time. Among the numerous works that were built in the country, this article highlights the Mendoza Bus Terminal project, one of the first built in a provincial capital that, planned in 1964, was inaugurated in 1972, after a short construction period. From the review of technical publications of the time, graphic documentation of the project, press clippings, government work, and an interview with the site’s main designer, this text, in historical terms, seeks to delve into the particular aspects of the ideation and execution of this urban landmark, a local reflection of the degree of progress in terms of technology and construction techniques, and the executive capacity of the provincial State.