The Villa Ortiz Basualdo, located in the city of Mar del Plata and where the Juan Carlos Castagnino Art Museum currently operates, It was declared a new National Historic Monument.

In this way, the Commune of the seaside resort will have the possibility of "managing better legal protection tools to preserve it as a building and strengthen the dissemination of the intangible heritage of the building", according to what was indicated by the Secretary of Culture Carlos Balmaceda.

The Ville, known as the first house with an elevator, It is located on Avenida Colón 1189. The property was built at the request of Ana Elía de Ortiz Basualdo and originally designed by Louis Dubois and Pablo Pater and with extensions by the architect George Camus and the engineer Alula Baldassarini.

Balmaceda was also in charge of highlighting that this declaration has to do with the joint and intense work that was carried out with the area of ​​Culture of the Nation and with the intention of preserving these historical assets.

The first floor of the Villa preserves a selection of original art-nouveau furniture by Belgian designer Gustave Serrurier-Bovy and original equipment of the residence in different settings: the oratory, the music and reading rooms, the main dining room, the children's dining room, the office for waiters, Three bedrooms, a central hall with balcony for Musicians, the toilet and the elevator.

Oak furniture and carpentry, vitrales, luminaires, painted fabrics, ceramics was designed by order of the Ortiz Basualdo, to the architect Gustave Serruriery realized in the workshops of his company in Liège (Belgium).The style corresponds to “art-nouveau”, viennese secession, of which this designer was an exquisite exponent.

During this summer the Villa will open to the public on Thursdays, Friday and Saturday 17.30 a 21. There will be a special capacity and specific protocols for visits.

On the ground floor there will be an exhibition of drawings by the master José Solla, many of which were carried out during lockdown marked by the pandemic.