Member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network since 2005
10 Things to Know About Buenos Aires
1 - Major supply of tertiary and university education in design
There are design careers at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Universidad de Palermo (UP), Universidad de Belgrano (UB), Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), Fundación Gutenberg, ORT schools, among others. Universidad de Buenos Aires enrolls about 35,000 students in its 6 design careers (Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Textile and Clothing Design, Image and Sound Design, Landscape Design, Architecture).
2 - A large number of design professionals able to respond to the demand of the industry
Some engaged in service delivery and many of them running their own design ventures.
3 – Business urban corridors entrenched as design circuits
Palermo, Recoleta (Buenos Aires Design) and San Telmo are the best known design corridors and are increasingly acknowledge abroad. New design areas showing up in different neighborhoods.
4- Design is incorporated into the urban environment
There are urban facilities in Puerto Madero, Av. Corrientes, Av. 9 de Julio, among other areas. In 2004 there was national public contests to design the city´s urban equipment (the winning projects are gradually being deployed). Puerto Madero´s new architecture is a major highlight. In the southern part of the city, the Parque Patricios Technology District and Barracas Design District are two big projects currently being developed.
5 – Local government is strongly involved in promoting design and its relationship with industry and business in general
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Design Center is a unique experience in Latin America, providing all kinds of supporting services to designers. It also hosts a designers incubators with almost 30 entrepreneurial projects being “nurtured”.
6 – A great amount of fairs and exhibitions devoted to the field
Design exhibitions take place around the year in different venues: Marq (Museum of Architecture), Malba (Latin American Art Museum), Mamba (Modern Art Museum), Sca (Architectural Society), among others. Other fairs are: Bafweek, Modaba, Cienporciento Diseño, Casa FOA, Puro Diseño, Código País, Premio Innovar. There are also academic seminars like Forum Alfa, Visiones, and the International Conference at the Metropolitan Design Center.
7 - A large number of design competitions
With large numbers of participants, each year different contests take place: Siderar, Innovar, Manifesto, Paollini, PVC, FEDEMA, Nokia, Heineken, Microsoft, among others. In total, there are 20 calls a year with USD 78,300 in awards and 2300 award-winning projects.
8 - Important design tradition
Some names that have contributed to the field and still do: Tomás Maldonado, Ronald Shakespear, Ruben Fontana, Norberto Cháves, Jorge Pensi, Ricardo Blanco, Reinaldo Leiro, Hugo Kogan, Mario Mariño, Clorindo Testa, Mario Roberto Alvarez, César Pelli, Solsona, Breyer , Doberti, among others. They have continued the work than by their well known predecessors, such as Bonet, Ferrari-Hardoy, Kurchan, Bustillo, Baliero and are being joined by the new generation, represented by Martin Churba, Jessica Trosman, Diana Cabeza, Alejandro Sarmiento, Eugenio Aguirre, William Stein, Mariano Toledo, among others.
9 – Several specialized media outfits and coverage
The biggest newspapers, Clarin, La Nación, Página 12, El Cronista, Perfil and Crónica all carry sections dedicated to the topic. There are several magazines fully dedicated to design: Summa, 90 +10, DNI, Barzon, TDI, G7 and others.
10 - Buenos Aires is a cultural and creative city with a wide range of activities catering to every taste
According to a recent survey by The Economist, Buenos Aires is the best city in Latin America to live, mostly because is active cultural scene. Cultural and creative industries in the city represent 80% of the national total and more than 10% of the local output.
