Biblioteca Nacional de la República Argentina / National Library of the Argentine Republic - Recoleta (Buenos Aires) - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

Depicted brutalist-style building, hidden in parks of Recoleta district of Buenos Aires, is a seat of the National Library of the Argentine Republic (Biblioteca Nacional de la República Argentina also using another official name: Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno).

Originally named the National Public Library of Buenos Aires, it was founded by the First Assembly on September 13, 1810. It was an integral part of an enlightened project to bring about a deep change in society through knowledge. Its first building was located in the Jesuit's college Manzana de las Luces (the Block of Enlightenment) in the centre of Buenos Aires. In the 1880s, the institution became the National Library as a result of the restructuring of institutions in the country.

By the 1960s, the need of a new building resulted in an invitation to an open tender in 1961, which was awarded to the projects submitted by architects Clorindo Testa, Alicia D. Cazzanica and Francisco Bullrich. However, the current Brutalist concrete building was opened in April 10, 1992.

The history of the library is closely related to the history of Argentina. Every change in the country was reflected in this institution. Remarkable intellectual figures of Argentinian culture managed this institution, namely, Marcos Sastre, José Mármol, Vicente Quesada, Paul Groussac and Jorge Luis Borges. The most important role of the National Library as the center of Argentinian culture is the activity offered to visitors. Its aim is not confined to preserving the library collection and making them available to the public, but to promoting events such as exhibitions, conferences, performances, movies, concerts of all kind, competitions and an array of courses of studies.